By Henry Uche, [email protected]
The Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN), in line with its mandate of training insurance professionals has empowered over 50 young insurance professionals at the third edition of its youth mentorship programme tagged ‘Boot Camp 3.0’.
The CIIN youth mentorship programme was a two-day annual event organised for the young insurance practitioners to learn from mentors, industry giants and network.
In an address, the President/Chairman of Council, CIIN, Mr. Edwin Igbiti, said that the mentorship programme was established by the Education Committee of the Institute with the aim to; train and develop young professionals in the industry to become leaders, equip them with managerial and leadership skills for career advancement and incorporate them in the activities of the Institute and Industry in order to encourage active participation.
Igbiti stressed that digitalisation has become a force that is driving massive changes in the insurance sector and grooming young insurers who are technologically savvy will aid the fast transitioning of the insurance industry in this digital economy.
“This year’s Boot Camp with the theme ‘The Millennial Insurance Leader in a Digital Economy’ sought to train young insurance professionals with the aim to generate enthusiasm in them as technology natives, key into CIIN strategic long-term goals of breeding and retaining empowered professionals, create social bonding through lifestyle conversations, team bonding activities to generate renewed vigour; in the end that young professionals will continue to pursue insurance as a career and a platform to create ideas and suggestions that would be pillars for the furtherance of new generation of insurance professionals in the industry,”
Similarly, the Chairman, Education Committee, CIIN, Mr. Segun Omosehin, said the mentorship programme which birthed the boot camp was out of the desire to encourage young professionals to bring in fresh ideas, innovations and be actively engaged in the affairs of the industry so as to increase the insurance awareness and penetration the sector desires.
“The essence of this boot camp is to bring young insurance professionals into an environment where they can interact, x-ray the issues affecting the industry with a prospect to providing solutions that are transformative and ingenious because these young ones are more energetic so, we must get them encouraged and interested in the industry affairs.
“Many of us in the industry will soon be exiting, we need to mentor the young ones, give them opportunities for them to take over leadership. The beauty of a leader is the ability to find successors who will take over the mantle of leadership; and this is our goal for the industry with this boot camp”, he stated.
The programme which attracted participants from insurance companies had many interactive sessions and presentations from top insurance leaders and other sector’s thought leaders.
Highlight of programme was the Group Seminar where participants who were grouped into teams battled for a prize on selected topics which can positively disrupt the operations of the industry.