CFI, Sunday Thomas, loses wife, Oyinade Folashade Thomas, to death

By Favour Nnabugwu

 

 

Wife of the Commissioner for Insurance and the Chief Executive of the The National Insurance Commission, NAICOM, Mr Olurundare Sunday Thomas, Mrs Oyinade Folashade Thomas passed on to the great beyond  today, April 12, 2024 after a brief illness.

 Naicom expressed deep sadness during the release of the death 

Mrs. Oyinade Thomas was a pillar of strength, support, and a source of inspiration to her family, friends, and colleagues. Her kind-hearted nature, compassion, and generosity touched the lives of countless individuals, making her an exceptional woman who will be dearly missed by all who had the privilege of knowing her.

Throughout her life, Mrs. Thomas demonstrated exceptional dedication and commitment to the insurance industry as she stood side by side with her husband, the Commissioner for Insurance/Chief Executive, in his mission to ensure the development and growth of the insurance sector in Nigeria. She recognized the vital role of insurance in providing financial security to individuals, businesses and communities.

The loss of Mrs Thomas will be felt by all who were fortunate enough to know her. The National Insurance Commission extends its deepest condolences to the Commissioner for Insurance/Chief Executive and his entire family during this difficult time. In this period of mourning, our hearts and prayers go out to them, offering comfort and support on behalf of the entire insurance community.

The Commission would also like to express its gratitude to the insurance industry stakeholders, friends, and well-wishers for their outpouring of sympathy and prayers. We appreciate your understanding and support as the Commissioner for Insurance/Chief Executive mourns the loss of his beloved wife.

Funeral arrangements will be communicated in due course.

Ministry working for early release of funds 2024 Olympics- Sport Minister

By Favour Nnabugwu

 

 

The Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Owan Enoh has announced plans to ensure the early release of funds in preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, underscoring the ministry’s commitment to supporting Nigerian athletes on the world stage.

Senator Enoh emphasized the importance of securing funding in a timely manner to facilitate comprehensive preparations for the Olympic Games. He added that the ministry will actively pursue partnerships with private individuals and the corporate sector to bolster financial support and ensure that athletes are set up for success.

Drawing from the successful model implemented during the African Games, where all athletes were insured, Senator Enoh affirmed the ministry’s commitment to safeguarding the well-being of Olympians. Plans are underway to provide insurance coverage for Team Nigeria athletes to mitigate risks associated with injuries and unforeseen circumstances, reflecting a proactive approach to athlete welfare.

Highlighting the ministry’s dedication to nurturing talent and fostering a conducive environment for athletic excellence, Senator Enoh announced plans to implement salaries for grade A athletes. This initiative aims to provide ongoing support and motivation to athletes as they prepare for the Games, enabling them to focus on their training and performance without financial constraints.

Senator Enoh expressed confidence in Nigeria’s athletes and their potential to achieve success at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. By prioritizing early funding, strengthening partnerships, and enhancing athlete support mechanisms, the Ministry of Sports Development expressed commitment to Nigerian athletes to shine on the global stage.

Inspenonline retirement summit soars, holds April 25

By Favour Nnabugwu

 

 

More individuals, groups and organisations have continued to indicate interest to attend the maiden 2024 Inspenonline Retirement Summit, first of it’s kind, will hold on Thursday, April 25, 2024 .

According to the Promoter of the Summit, who is also Publisher of Inspenonline, Chuks Udo Okonta, prominent amongst those attending the summit are: members of Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA); Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC); Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC); Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) and Pension Desk Officers (PDOs).

The event which will hold at Radisson Hotel include others as members of informal sector, insurance operators, pension operators, lecturers, students, workers and retirees.

Okonta submitted that the 2024 Inspenonline Retirement Summit, was designed to provide the requisite knowledge needed to aid the public to effectively plan and enter retirement life smiling and also help those in retirement rediscover themselves.

He said the theme: ‘Promoting Retirement Without Tears, Through Insurance and Pension’ will be handled by experts, who are masters in retirement affairs.

“Why would you spend thousands of naira to attend retirement seminars, while you can get the needed knowledge for free,” he enquired.

He said the event, which he christened the University of Retirement, has Faculty Leaders, such as, Chairman of event, Past President Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN)/former Managing Director Sterling Assurance Limited, Fatai Lawal.

Special Guests of Honours: Commissioner for Insurance Sunday Thomas and the Director General National Pension Commission (PenCom) Mrs. Aisha Dahir-Umar

Special Guests: Past President Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria Sir. Muftau Oyegunle; Chairman, Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) Olusegun Omosehin and the Chief Executive Officer, Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria, Agudah Oguche;

President Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria Edwin Igbiti; President Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers Babatunde Oguntade; Chairman, NSIA Insurance Limited, Dr. Adesegun Akin-Olugbade and the Former Managing Director Sanlam Nigeria, Val Ojumah

Keynote Speaker: Founder & Managing Director, ZER Consulting Africa, Adeolu Adewumi-Zer

Paper Discussants: Managing Director Motodols Consults/former Director General, Lagos State Pension Commission, Mrs. Folashade Onanuga; Founder, Mutual Aid Specialists, Adetola Adegbayi; Managing Director Universal Insurance Plc, Benedict Ujoatuonu; Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Crusadersterling Pensions Limited, Rotimi Adebiyi; Managing Director Heirs Life Assurance Limited, Niyi Onifade; Managing Director Sanlam Nigeria, Tunde Mimiko; Director General, Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, Adewale Oyerinde and the National Chairman, Forum of Pension Desk Officers, Nze Peter Nze.

Okonta appreciated companies and individuals that have so far supported the event morally and financially, whilst imploring good spirited individuals and organisations to also support the initiative.

President Tinubu approves establishment of National Health Fellows Programme

By Favour Nnabugwu

 

 

In his determination to comprehensively upgrade existing primary healthcare centres and construct over 8,800 new primary healthcare centres across all local government areas in the country for accessible and qualitative healthcare delivery with the provision of new social accountability mechanisms, President Bola Tinubu has approved the establishment of the National Health Felows Programme, with young Nigerian fellows to be engaged in all the 774 local government areas in the country.

The well-trained fellows will serve as fiduciary agents to monitor and track Primary Healthcare Centre development and performance, which is to be assiduously measured against all financial inflows to the centres nationwide.

The fellowship programme will be domiciled in the Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) COordination office under the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

The fellows will be recruited, renumerated, and equipped with appropriate tools to track the performance of Basic Health Care Provision Fund-supported health facilities across the nation. President Tinubu, who is the African Union Champion for Human Resources in Healthcare, places faith in young Nigerians, and expects that their engagement in this critical nation-building task, which also includes a daily monitoring and tracking of health reforms in their locations, will usher in a new era of world-class service provision to al Nigerians in every part of the Country.

President Tinubu appeals for peace in Africa, trouble spots around the Globe

By Favour Nnabugwu

 

 

 

President Bola Tinubu has made a strong appeal for global peace and stability, particularly in Africa and trouble spots around the world.

Addressing members of the Diplomatic Corps and Heads of International Organizations during Iftar at the State House, President Tinubu urged the ambassadors to convey the message of peace and stability to their respective countries.

“t is an honour for me to speak to you collectively and share with you the diverse culture that Nigeria embodies. Sharing this moment with you is a privilege for us,” the Nigerian leader said.

Reflecting on the essence of Ramadan, President Tinubu emphasized the values of tolerance and perseverance, noting their importance in fostering peace and stability worldwide. “Ramadan is a period of self-denial, sharing, tolerance, and perseverance.It is a time for us to bring peace and stability to the world.l appreciate your coming and sharing of peace with us,” the President said.

President Tinubu appealed to members of the Diplomatic Corps to extend their care and support to the needy and the vulnerable, noting the collective responsibility to promote peace and stability globally.

“Let us in our hearts care for the needy and those who have nothing. Together, we can promote peace and stability in the world. Itis what you need to convey to your various countries, that stability and peace are attainable. We should al come together to promote peace in the World.

“There will be no economic stability without peace in the world,” the President stated. Ambassador Salaheddine Abbas Ibrahim, High Commissioner of Cameroon and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, expressed gratitude for the generous invitation to share Iftar with President Tinubu.

He prayed the blessings of the last days of Ramadan upon Nigeria and wished President Tinubu fruitful stewardship for peace and prosperity in the country. Commending the President for bringing renewed hope to Nigerians, High Commissioner Ibrahim assured him that Nigeria can rely on the international community as veritable partner.

Earlier at the State House mosque, President Tinubu joined other Muslim faithful to participate in the closing of the Ramadan Tafsir. He urged the Muslim faithful to uphold the lessons of the Holy month beyond

The fasting season by living in peace and harmony with one another. “Iwant to thank God Almighty that we started this Ramadan with the opening knowledge of Tafsir. I thank the Imams for their dedication, love, and commitment to the faith.

My appeal is for them to continue to preach the sermon of goodwill,” President Tinubu concluded..

Afreximbank to offer Supply Chain Finance in  partnership with Sterling Bank

By Favour Nnabugwu

 

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has partnered with Sterling Bank to introduce the innovative supply chain finance product ‘Payables Finance’, in Nigeria.

This product, branded as ‘Afreximbank Tradelink,’ is one of Afreximbank’s digital offerings under the umbrella of the Africa Trade Gateway (ATG). ATG provides African corporates and commercial banks with relevant digital tools to access market information, connect with buyers and sellers across the continent for efficient marketing and procurement, facilitate Know Your Customer (KYC) processes, and promote trade payments between African countries in local currencies.

Payables Finance enables suppliers to access financing from the banking system by obtaining early payment for invoices which have been approved for payment by their corporate buyers. The buyers continue to receive trade credit from the suppliers, and the suppliers finance their working capital through the early payment received, enabling them to grow their business.

The financing cost is linked to the credit rating of the corporate buyers, thereby making this product particularly valuable for SME suppliers who may face challenges in accessing bank finance at competitive pricing.

Payables Finance is the fastest growing trade finance product globally and there is an enormous opportunity for African businesses to benefit from it. The partnership with Sterling Bank is a unique and innovative arrangement which leverages the complementary strengths of both institutions to provide a comprehensive market-led solution to Nigerian corporates and their suppliers. Under this arrangement, Afreximbank will provide financing to corporates and banks in both US Dollars and Euros while Sterling Bank will manage financing in Naira. Suppliers of Nigerian corporates can thus benefit from financing in both local and foreign currency as per their requirements.

Haytham ElMaayergi, Executive Vice President of Afreximbank Global Trade Bank, welcomed the launch as another milestone in realising the Bank’s vision of transforming Africa’s trade. He said: “Afreximbank identified supply chain finance as a solution for improving access to trade finance in Africa and embarked on a journey to increase penetration through financial intervention and capacity building.

The Bank’s Factoring Working Group has done extremely well to provide lines of credit to support factoring and has actively promoted factoring across the continent in collaboration with other institutions.” He added that the introduction of Payables Finance is the next step on the Bank’s roadmap for supply chain finance across Africa.

“African businesses now have the opportunity to harness the potential of this product, which has been widely adopted globally, at an accelerated pace by learning from the experiences of other regions and using the latest technologies which have been developed,” he explained.

Commenting on this partnership, Gwen Mwaba, Director & Global Head Trade Finance, Afreximbank said: “The launch in Nigeria is a first step in Afreximbank’s plans to introduce Payables Finance across Africa in partnership with leading African financial institutions. The product, which will deploy world class technology and a collaborative delivery model and will contribute towards achievement of the Bank’s strategic objective of reducing the trade finance gap in Africa, particularly for the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) segment.”

Chukwuka Onuaguluchi, Ecosystem Banking Head at Sterling Bank, said: “Sterling Bank is committed to meeting the trade finance needs of Nigerian corporates and their suppliers and we are proud to introduce this much-needed product in partnership with Afreximbank for the benefit of Nigerian businesses.”

Afreximbank provides both US Dollar and Euro financing to businesses in its member countries across Africa and in Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member countries. The launch in Nigeria will be followed by similar partnerships in other African countries to expand local currency financing capability across the continent in a phased manner. Adoption of the product will be supported by capacity building events to increase awareness of supply chain finance and its benefits. The product rollout in Nigeria is complemented by a workshop targeting corporate institutions and banks, in collaboration with Woodhall Capital, a leading finance company in Nigeria.

Underpinning the delivery of these new financial products is a market-leading supply chain finance platform, developed by UK-based fintech Demica, a leader in working capital solutions. Demica works with the world’s leading banks to power their supply chain finance solutions. In 2021, the company established a partnership with Afreximbank to extend this technology to banks across Africa.

Naicom visits DTRS on third party insurance

CAPTION:
L-Commissioner For Insurance and CRO of the National Insurance Commission, Naicom, Mr Olorundare Sunday Thomas and the Director, Director, Road Transport Service, FCTA, DRTS, Dr. Bello Abdul-Lateef in Abuja yesterday. 
By Favour Nnabugwu 
National Insurance Commission, Naicom has taken insurance of third party to the office of the  Director, Road Transport Service, FCTA, DRTS.
The Commissioner for Insurance/Chief Executive Officer of the Naicom, Mr. Olorundare Sunday Thomas who was ably received by the  Director, DRTS, Dr. Bello Abdul-Lateef in Abuja on Wednesday shared some ideas and way forward.
The purpose of the visit by Naicom was to formally explore areas of collaboration with regards curbing:
1. Instances were persons circumvent the system by paying lower premium than expected and 2. The issue of “FAKE” Third (3rd) Party Motor Insurance 
The Director, DRTS, noted that a lot of individuals renewing their vehicle particulars were not getting value for the insurance premium being paid as they did not validate the insurance policies after purchase even though they might have paid N15,000; whereas the cover they were actually given cost N4,000 considering the fact that they may have engaged unauthorised persons to help process their request.
The Director, DRTS further mentioned they are now leveraging technology to curb such issues and that 98% of its processes are now automated. In addition, he stated that individuals can commence the process of their vehicle particulars renewal from the comfort of their homes.
The Commissioner for Insurance also informed the Director, DRTS on the enhanced third-party Motor Insurance which became effective 2nd January, 2023 increasing its premium from N5,000 to N15,000 and also its benefits from N1,000,000 to N3,000,000 covers respectively for the protection of road users.
In his closing remark, the Commissioner mentioned that effective collaboration between NAICOM and DRTS will help reduce the incidences of Third-party motor insurance irregularity by enhancing active policing to ensure adequate Insurance management system.
FG to support insurance brokers body, NCRIB

CAPTION:

L – Past President, The Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers, Dr. (Mrs) Bola Onigbogi; Vice President, Mrs. Funke Adenusi, mni; Executive Secretary/CEO, Mr. Tope Adaramola; Hon. Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the economy, Mr Wale Edun; President,NCRIB, Prince Babatunde Oguntade and Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Lydia Jafiya during the Council’s visit to the Minister’s office in Abuja recently

 

By Favour Nnabugwu 

 

 

The Federal Government has expressed its intention to partner with strategic professional institutions towards entrenching viable economic policies that would inflate the economy and guarantee the nation’s sustainable development, promised to support the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB)

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the economy, Mr Wale Edun, made the assertion when the delegation of NCRIB paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.

According to Edun, the current administration was giving primacy to getting the economy out of the woods through pragmatic reforms by getting hold of government revenue and monitoring effective outcomes of government policies.

The Minister disclosed that the government realised the need to collaborate with reputable professional institutions which are believed to bring value to government’s new policy direction, hence an extension of hands of fellowship to notable bodies like the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers, especially in its economic task force team.

Speaking earlier, the President of NCRIB, Prince Babatunde Oguntade had applauded the Ministry for effectively anchoring the economic reforms of the present administration which he stated was already putting the country on the path of sustainable recovery.

He stated that government needed to place greater emphasis on insurance as one of the economic reforms strategies, bearing in mind the endemicity of risks in every endeavour of government, coupled with the need to preserve the huge human and material resources of government against unforeseen circumstances.Oguntade specifically advocated a more stringent commitment of government to the enforcement of the laws on compulsory insurances which he noted would buoy the solvency of the industry as well as guarantee the required peace of mind of the people and inflate the economy ultimately.

While advocating the involvement of Registered Insurance Brokers in all government insurance accounts, Oguntade frowned at the practice of virement in yearly budgeted expenditure for insurances by government, noting that the accounting practice had deprived the industry of its required revenue.

The NCRIB President also made a passionate case for the removal of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) from the revenue generating agencies of government which led to government deducting 50 per cent front its revenue or income, a situation he said could badly affect the effective legislative oversight of the regulatory body through inadequacy of funds.

Nominations for 9th African Insurance Awards extend to April 5

By Favour Nnabugwu

 

 

Africa Reinsurance Corporation, Africa Re, has extended the submission of Nominations for the 9th edition of the African Insurance Awards (AIA) has been extended to 5 April 2024.

Africa Re through the awards intends to rewards and celebrates excellence, innovation, good corporate management and leadership in the African insurance industry.

The Awards Ceremony will take place on 3 June 2024 in Windhoek, Namibia.

Company of the Year: This prize is open to all insurance companies registered in Africa and focuses on performance in the last two years.

CEO of the Year: This special award is given to the CEO of an insurance company, who has made an outstanding contribution over the past 12 months or more, either through the advancement of his/her company or the insurance industry in Africa.

Innovation of the Year: This prize is awarded to an insurance company for the best use of technology, for launching a breakthrough product / service or a new and innovative distribution channel or method.
InsurTech Initiative of the Year:

This prize targets non-insurers that are collaborating with insurers to improve customer service delivery, product development and overall innovation in the insurance value chain. For this category, the awards will provide a platform for the winner to meet the insurance industry