Naicom envisions insurance industry in eight years to come, prepares ahead

By Favour Nnabugwu

 

The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has envisioned insurance industry in the next eight years and preparation are in top gear to achieve the feats.

Speaking at the 2022 retreat for financial correspondents held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, AbdulRasaaq ‘Salami, Head, Corporate Communications & Market Development, on a paper titled, ‘NAICOM’s Market Development Initiatives: The Journey so Far’, all efforts are geared towards the further growth of the sector.

Salami is quite certain that the structures will also see to improvement of insurance consumer trust and confidence in the sector, increase insurance contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from 0.4 per cent to over 3.0 per cent; lower insurance gap from 94 per cent to 70 per cent and increase Industry Gross Premium Income from N630 billion in 2021 to N6.0 trillion by 2030.

Some of strategic plans in place by the Commission, he said include market conduct guideline; bancassurance guideline; Takaful Insurance guideline; Microinsurance guideline; RBS Framework/Own Risk Assessment (ORSA); Nigerian Insurance Industry ICT guideline, as strategies the industry can apply to achieve the growth it desired by 2030.

Others are: Guideline on Insurance of Government Assets; Insurance Web Aggregators Operational guideline; establishment of Liaison with target state government – Lagos, Ekiti, Kano, and others; implementation machineries in place; sensitisation of NMSMEs on insurance products and benefits inherent in their consumption – Kano, Abuja, Lagos and insurance education of members of the public at the rudimental level (Sponsorship of radio and TV programmes).

He said market development is a costly affair and requires huge capital to keep going thus, funding is critical, adding that however, NAICOM will continue to work with all stakeholders to develop strategic, sustainable and implementable initiatives for deepening insurance penetration to enable optimal contribution to the Nigerian economy.

‘Salami submitted that various actions to expand the reach or tap into a different segment/unexplored market (Retail end) and, other activities aimed at achieving insurance market development, have been put in place.

Naicom will not work in isolation of all stakeholders while assuring that the commission will continue to work with all stakeholders to develop strategic, sustainable and implementable initiatives for deepening insurance penetration to enable optimal contribution to the Nigerian economy.

He noted that NAICOM has put in place structures to promote insurance as a tool for stimulating growth of other sectors and raise funds for project development at the Federal and State levels, so as to create over 250,000 new jobs.

Continuing, he also identified, licensed of four Takaful insurance companies and six Microinsurance companies to transact businesses in Nigeria; processing of other four Microinsurance and three Takaful applications at various approval stages; collaboration and written approval of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to partner the Commission on its enforcement of compulsory insurances across the country.

Sensitisation of Directors and Insurance Desk Officers of MDAs; Joint committees established with MFCT on one hand and the Federal Ministry of Transport on the other; joint engagements with the Federal and State Fire Services for the commencement of enforcement of Public Building Liability Insurance and interface with the FRSC to strengthen implementation of the compulsory 3rd party motor Insurance.

Salami also identified licensing & authorization module of NAICOM Portal which has been completed and deployed; commenced development of the Supervisory Returns Phase of the Portal and launched of the Insurtech accelerator platform – Bimalab Nigeria project on 9th February 2022 in partnership with Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) Africa.