MATTHEW OTOIJAGHA
Embracing insurance is the only true way through which the people can “Live with Freedom”, the President, Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN), Eddie Efekoha, has said.
He disclosed this when the Council of the CIIN, in line the Institute’s 2018 Education Seminar, paid a courtesy visit to the Palace of the Olubadan of Ibadan land, Oba Saliu Adetunji; in Ibadan, Oyo State, He implored the Oba to encourage his subjects to embrace insurance.
“Your Majesty, I would leverage on this occasion to implore you to encourage your subjects to embrace insurance because embracing insurance is the only true way through which the people can “Live with Freedom”. We are soliciting for your support to drive the news about insurance to all nooks and crannies of Oyo State. Together, we can promote the Insurance Industry to greater heights.
“We are hopeful that our activities here educate more people, inspire them to embrace insurance as a service and most importantly for the younger ones to embrace insurance as a profession,” he said.
He noted that the CIIN is the body established by statute to determine the standard of skill and knowledge required for the professional and ethical practice of the business of insurance in Nigeria, adding that part of its mandate is to actively drive Insurance awareness and spread the gospel of insurance far and wide as its tentacles can extend to.
During the visit to Governor of the State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; the CIIN President said insurance companies are being tasked to reorganize their operations and focus on promoting value.
According to him “In this digital age where the customer is king, insurance companies are being charged to focus on delivering value to their customers in order to create ultimate customer service experience. This will in turn, increase the number of persons who embrace insurance, turning them into worthy ambassadors of the industry.”
He said the seminar theme beams a spotlight on value as the core essence of what insurers do as insurance practitioners ‘‘focuses on the need to communicate this value in all that we do.
“Even the smallest molecule of our operations should translate to value to our target audience. Only then can we truly retain top of mind awareness and agree that we have taken a significant step in what we collectively desire to achieve.
“We welcome the team of experienced panelists who will x-ray the issues emanating from the theme paper and believe they will take us on a thoroughly engaging experience. As risk managers, it is our lot to increase the tempo of our campaigns for insurance awareness and professionalism in order to get more people to stand up and take notice and for more Nigerians to embrace insurance as a profession and as a service offering,” he said.
He said the CIIN will continue to leverage on all platforms to ensure the propagation of insurance education, awareness and the highest levels of professionalism obtainable in the industry, adding that the institute’s creed is centered on its mandate to provide world class manpower with the highest standard of professional and ethical training for the Nigerian and International business community.
“I would like to mention at this juncture that the institute is reinventing itself to become even more relevant in the larger scheme of things. Our training programs are being retooled to make them more applicable to the challenges faced in the everyday lives of insurance practitioners. We are also creating new channels and programs to engage the younger generation to ensure that they embrace insurance consciously as a course of study,” he added.
He appealed to the Oyo State Government to see Insurance Industry as a worthy partner in progress, stressing that no effort can be too much in this collective quest for increased Insurance consciousness in the nation. He said the 2018 Education Seminar is therefore a call for all hands to be on deck in the actualization of the awareness campaign.