All Posts in "Day: October 4, 2020"

Naicom strengthens ties with Media…preparation for 20 new offices in top gear

by Favour Nnabugwu
The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has said that it will continue to collaborate and strengthen its ties with journalists to increase insurance penetration in the country.
He also stated effort to open the Commission 2 new offices are in almost concluded
Mr Adeyemi Abubakar, Assistant Director and Head Market Development of NAICOM, said this in his paper titled “Market Development Initiatives of the Commission and the Role of Media’’ presented during a seminar for insurance journalists, in Uyo, on Friday.
Abubakar said that Nigeria’s insurance market was grossly untapped, hence, the need for journalists to sensitise the public on the value of having insurance.
 “NAICOM is working tirelessly to instil confidence in the public, to assuage the fear entertained by the public about insurance in the country.
“NAICOM is working hard to ensure stability in the insurance industry. The stakeholders must be protected.
“We need you to enhance sensitisation and creation of awareness to make sure that insurance gets to the general public.
“We must increase insurance penetration to all the states of the federation,’’ Abubakar said.
He said that the commission had approved the establishment of 20 more offices to bring the office of the regulator nearer to the people.
He said that the commission had offices in the six geopolitical zones of the country.
Abubakar said that the commission would continue to press insurance companies to pay claims, stressing that timely payment would encourage more people to embrace insurance.
“We need to promote public understanding of insurance and practice based on international standard’’, he said.
He posited that the strategy of the commission for penetration would be to set up weekly insurance Community Development Service for corps members in the states.
According to him, corps members who belong to the insurance CDS group will go round to educate communities on the benefits of insurance.
Abubakar said the move would promote public understanding of insurance mechanism, build confidence and help in the enforcement of compulsory insurance.
He said: “We want to collaborate with NYSC for the establishment of weekly CDS on insurance in the states.
“They will go round to sensitise the people and educate them on to benefits of insurance.
“People need to begin to talk about insurance in schools and other places the way they talk about banking.
“We want to instil trust in the minds of the people to build their confidence.”
On compulsory insurance, Abubakar listed some of them to include builders’ liability insurance, motor third party liability insurance and the group life insurance.
He noted that the commission is also partnering with the states’ fire service, revenue office and states’ Head of Service to help in the enforcement of insurance schemes.
Abubakar regretted that the insurance sector, which had numerous opportunities, was grossly untapped, saying the potentials will help to improve insurance premium and contribute to the growth of the Gross Domestic Product of the country
Also, he said that the Commission zeal to open  new 20 state branch offices across the country is already in top gear.
It maintained that the restructuring exercise is part of the efforts at repositioning the commission for better service delivery.
Patoma Admin by — October 4, 2020 in Insurance 0
NAICOM turns insurance industry to digital compliance

By Favour Nnabugwu

National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) is resolute about turning the country’s insurance sector into practical entity through information technology to drive the process.
The portal, which Commission put in six years to finalised under the Commissioner for Insurance (CFI), Mr. Sunday Thomas’s watch, revealed at the 2020 seminar organised for insurance journalists in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state pointed out that the  management was able  to stabilise the commission through the cooperation of staff.
He said the new portal was such that wherever anybody is in the world, information on the nation’s insurance sector would be available to him at the click of a button.
“We will be looking at the digital world. Part of what we have done so far is the fact that our portal that was on the drawing board for over six years has been fixed. It is taking us from where we are to the next level.
The CFI said, “We have sensitised the technical people in the industry and they have been going through series of trainings.
“The next thing we are going to do is to engage the industry with IT guidelines. It is no longer going to be historical reporting.”
Thomas noted that  commission would continue to enhance the  confidence President Muhammadu Buhari reposed in the insurance sector while he assured that Nigerians would not be disappointed in the industry.
According to him, “It is not by coincidence that we are having this conference today that we are marking 60th anniversary as a nation.
He reassured, “We want to be seen the way we are so we know where to make amends. NAICOM is an agency of the Federal Government  and has the responsibility to make some impact on the economy. We will  continue to relish the president’s appreciation of the industry.”
Acknowledging that the investment climate was tough, he said, the commission was determined to make a difference as there will be no hindrance to information dissemination.
He insisted that he is not a CFI that waits in the and expect things to fall into places,  based on the position, the Commission visited the Chairman of Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Kayode Fayemi, to prevail on his colleague governors  to assist in driving the compulsory insurance policy.
Without mincing words, he said that the investment climate was too friendly, inspire of that he said that the commission was determined to make a difference as there will be no hindrance to information dissemination.
“The terrain is tough but we are determined to succeed. Nigeria is not by accident the largest economy in Africa. We must take advantage of the population. There are a lot of things to fast track the process. The digital world will drive regulation,” he posited.
“If there is a need for change let us know and if there is a need for me to explain I will not hesitate to do that. We have challenges ahead of us but we are determined to overcome those challenges. We try as much as possible to let investors, government and stakeholders into our programmes,he charged Insurance Journalists.
Patoma Admin by — October 4, 2020 in Insurance 0
NAICOM sets the stage for next level on IT

National Insurance Commission (Naicom) said the regulatory is set to take iinsurance industry’s to the next level through digitalisation.

The Deputy Director in charge of Information Technology in NAICOM, Mr Abiodun Aribike, said this at a seminar for journalists with theme: “Digital Transformation of the Commission and Market Development Initiatives’’ on Friday in Uyo  Akwa Ibom

He affirmed that ithe strategies, which would be made available through the portal would help to reduce incidences of fake insurance, improve productivity and revenue in the industry.

In a paper he presented with theme: “Digital Transformation of NAICOM’s Processes and Procedures’’, at the 2020 seminar for  journalists,  in Uyo, Akwa Ibom  told journalists that Commission egun training of stakeholders in the sector to effect the digital transformat

He said that the digitisation strategy would help the people to source information about insurers to check their genuineness

“We have trained staff of brokers in the South West and we want to train those in the South-South, South East for them to join the portal.

“This will improve productivity, enhance stakeholders’ collaboration, trust and resource management,’’ he said.

He noted that the digital system would aid easy approval of licensing for insurance companies and tracking of insurance related complaints by policyholders.

He said the strategies, which would be made available through the portal, would help to reduce incidences of fake insurance, improve productivity and revenue in the industry.

Aribike further informed that the Naicom had also begun training of stakeholders in the sector to effect the digital transformation.

He believed that digitisation strategy would help the people to source information about insurers’ genuineness.

“This will improve productivity, enhance stakeholders’ collaboration, trust and resource management.”

He noted that the digital system would aid easy approval of licensing for insurance companies and tracking of insurance related complaints by policyholders

Patoma Admin by — October 4, 2020 in Insurance 0
IGP bans FSARS, others from checking citizen’s phone

The Inspector General of Police, IGP Mohammed Adamu, has banned operatives of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) and other Tactical Squads of the Force, including the Special Tactical Squad (STS), Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Anti-Cultism Squad and other Tactical Squads operating at the Federal, Zonal and Command levels, from carrying out routine patrols and other conventional low-risk duties.

Such duties, which include stop -and- search duties, checkpoints, mounting of roadblocks and traffic checks, among others are to stop with immediate effect according to a statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, on Sunday.

In addition, no personnel of the Force is authorised to embark on patrols or tactical assignments in mufti, the statement indicated.

“They must always appear in their police uniforms or approved tactical gear. The IGP’s directives come against the backdrop of findings by the leadership of the Force that a few personnel of the Tactical Squads hide under these guise to perpetrate all forms of illegality, contrary to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement establishing the squads.

“Specifically, the IGP has warned the Tactical Squads against the invasion of the privacy of citizens particularly through indiscriminate and unauthorized search of mobile phones, laptops and other smart devices.

” They are to concentrate and respond only to cases of armed robbery, kidnapping and other violent crimes when the need arises.

“The IGP notes that the FSARS and other Police Tactical Squads remain a critical component of the Force in confronting prevailing and emerging violent crimes in the country.

“He however condemns every act of unprofessionalism, abuse of human rights and high-handedness by some personnel of the Squads.

“He has therefore ordered the X-Squad and the Monitoring Unit to embark on immediate and massive nationwide monitoring of activities of Tactical Squads and other police officers on the road.

“They are to ensure prompt arrest, investigation and prosecution of all erring police officers who violate these directives and other extant regulations of the Force

“The IGP has equally warned, that henceforth, the Commissioner of Police in charge of FSARS, Commissioners of Police in charge of State Commands and the FCT as well as their supervisory Zonal Assistant Inspectors General of Police, will be held liable for any misconduct within their Area of Responsibility (AOR).

“He therefore charged them to ensure effective supervision and mentoring of the personnel of the Tactical Squads under their jurisdiction.

“Meanwhile, two operatives of the FSARS and their civilian accomplice operating in Lagos State, INSPR Sale James, INSPR Monday Uchiola and Okechukwu Ogbonna, have been arrested by the Lagos State Police Command, for acts of professional misconduct including extortion and intimidation of innocent citizens.

“The operational vehicle of the men has also been impounded and disciplinary procedure has already commenced against the defaulters.”

Anger and frustration have pervaded the social media following the killing of a young man in Delta State by men of the Special Anti Robbery Squad of the Nigeria Police.

The issue had trended for the past couple of days on social media with many reliving their experiences at the hands of SARS operatives while others called for outright scrapping of the police unit, showing how strongly Nigerians feel about the development.

Patoma Admin by — October 4, 2020 in Metro 0