In a bid to deepen penetration in the country, the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) has reiterated its commitment to increasing insurance awareness and senstitisation.
The Council made this vow to the new executives of the National Association of Insurance and Pension Correspondents (NAIPCO) during a courtesy visit in Lagos.
The president of NCRIB, Bola Onigbogi, promised to work with the new executives of NAIPCO to increase insurance acceptance as well as its contribution to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product(GDP).
According to Onigbogi, many Nigerians are still ignorant of the values insurance brings while some still habour the misconception that insurance companies don’t pay claims, hence, the need to drive awareness and education from the media perspective to change this narrative. She noted that the growth of insurance industry requires collective efforts, adding that the media is critical and an important stakeholder in the journey to develop the insurance segment of the nation’s economy.
While appreciating the efforts of NAIPCO members in their drive to educate Nigerians through their informed news reporting, she urged them to be positive in reporting as the death of the industry will also negatively reflect on the reporters covering the sector. She applauded the current executives for embarking on series of projects aimed at complementing the efforts of Insurance companies and brokers to deepening insurance penetration and acceptance, promising that the council just as it has done in the past, will continue to support the association in its plans to grow and develop the sector.
Vice-president, NCRIB, Tunde Oguntade, said the relationship between the council and the media, especially, insurance correspondents has always been positive, promising to extend such gesture to the current executives of NAIPCO for the grow of the industry.
For his part, the Executive Secretary, NCRIB, Fatai Adegbenro, said both the media and the council are critical stakeholders and must together work to grow the industry. Adegbenro stated that insurance drives the economy in advanced countries and Nigeria must aspire to come to a point as this.
“We are all stakeholders in the industry and the public tends to believe anything that comes from the media, hence, the need to throw caution, so as not to feed the public with lies or hearsay. The role of journalists is to inform and we must give the right information to the people yearning for information.”