L-R: Mr. Tope Adaramola, Executive Secretary; Mrs. Ekeoma Ezeibe, President/Chairman of Council and Mrs. Olufunke Adenusi, mni, Deputy President, all of NCRIB during a media engagement in Lagos yesterday.
The Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) plans to initiate a partnership with state governments across the nation to bring insurance penetration and patronage to the grassroots in Nigeria under a policy of one state at a time.
Mrs. Ekeoma Ezeibe, the President and Chairman of Council of NCRIB said in Lagos that Abia State would be the first in the series of states in the insurance penetration initiative under her One Insurance Industry agenda in office.
“We choose Abia State as the pilot state for the insurance penetration policy given the huge commercial prowess of Aba and performance of the current administration in the state. We want a partnership with the State government to gain entry and penetration for the people and businesses to know the benefits of insurance. From Abia, we shall move to other states as well.”
Ezeibe said her One Insurance Industry agenda is to empower the insurance sector to take her pride of place in the economy of Nigeria by using penetration to spread the gospel of insurance across the nation and take advantage of the provisions of the Nigeria Insurance Industry Reform Act 2025 (NIIRA) which has given enforcement powers to the industry regulator. She described NIIRA 2025 as the key to a better insurance industry and national economy.
The NCRIB president listed her other agenda to include completion and commissioning of the NCRIB annex project, good relationship with the industry regulator, the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) and continuation of capacity building programmes for members of NCRIB.
On digitalisation, Ezeibe said it remains an opportunity for shared services by members of NCRIB and the development of an app as part of its insurance penetration strategy.
She said the insurance industry is heading towards collaboration and has continued to perform better while the national economy is gradually turning around for the better despite the current difficult situation. She gave example of the stability of the Naira as a key pointer in that direction.
Ezeibe, who is the 23rd president and third female president of NCRIB, said her meeting with the media just days after her official investiture, underscores the importance of the media in driving her agenda in office.
“We expect maximum support from members of the media as our partners in progress. We are looking forward to a rewarding relationship as partners to take the insurance industry to a higher level. It is a symbiotic relationship between us in the interest of the market.”
