Nigerian CommunicationWeek

Expert wants Government to Address Real Problem Confronting Insurance

Mr. Sunny Bamidele, managing director of Century Finance Group, has challenged Nigeria insurance operators to rise up to the real issues confronting insurance growth, rather than formulating unrealizable policies that are only good on paper. According to him, it is good to formulate policies but the question really should be weather such can work under the prevailing environment. The finance consultant explained that if insurance must grow here, the efforts must involve government full participation. He stated that over the years, he has studied the situation and identified four main factors affecting the growth of insurance in Nigeria.  He said some of these factors that have contributed to the stunted growth of insurance and reinsurance business in Nigeria and even Africa, are economic. Under this platform is the dwindling economy which has led to even weaker currencies, a situation that makes operators unable to compete in a global economy. “For instance, the naira has been so undervalued that where insurance companies in other climes are competing for business with stronger currencies and favourable working environment, Nigeria is still thinking of how to make the public take even insurances that are compulsory under the law.” 
Bamidele also identified political instability which he said has eaten deep into the socio –political structure of the nation. He stressed that no economy can develop under an atmosphere of chaos and corruption, adding that the fact that Nigeria has had almost a decade of civilian administration is not enough to think that all is well, He noted that the corruption that has enveloped the system has made a mockery of whatever gains the industry may have had over time. This has seriously affected economic activities and consequently insurance business in Nigeria and even in other African states.
The finance expert stated that beyond these reasons, the greatest problem which the government must address before insurance can thrive in Nigeria is poverty.  “Poverty has eaten so deep into the very fabrics of our existence. It is so devastating that the insuring public has very low disposable income such that insurance does not even stand in a vantage position on the scale of preferences of things to actualize,” he said. Besides, a lot of people do not have regular income and access to basic necessities of life, like food, housing and shelter. In a country where religion also plays a part on who takes what insurance, then it is difficult for insurance to thrive here like it does in the developed world. He stated that a large number of the African population do not believe in insurance, owing to some religious reasons as well as ignorance and illiteracy. He condemned a situation where even our modest achievements are sacrificed on alter of fake insurance products and the inability of law enforcement agencies to curb the bad practice. Also, the underdevelopment in Nigeria makes most members of the public to be isolated and remote to insurance services. He opined that “since a larger majority of people live in rural areas where they have no access to regular financial services, where there is apathy towards insurance and financial protection by an average Nigerian and where culture forbids certain transactions, then it may be difficult to expect a drastic breakthrough.” he said. To corroborate this slow and unimpressive pace, Remi Olowude, Executive Vice – chairman of Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) while speaking at a public forum explained that the present situation arose when the majority of enabling laws enacted to facilitate and promote the overall development of the industry came on board. This he said culminated in the emergence of an array of markets which might conveniently be grouped into two major types, the nationalised ones, where the state had monopoly and the mixed markets, where public and private participation held sway. Also, in order to conserve foreign exchange and build local capacity, certain classes of businesses were domesticated.
Olowude noted that the dismal performance of the industry is well-captured by UNCTAD statistics in 2007, which showed that the continent represents 14 percent of the world’s population, while contributing contributes only 1.03 percent to the global gross premium income.
“It is interesting to note that this performance is enhanced by South Africa, which accounted for 93 percent in Life business and over 50 percent in Non-Life business in the year under review. Not only has the insurance industry in Nigeria been unable to develop as in other parts of the world, it has also been unable to measure up to other competing products in the financial services industry within the continent.
“For example, statistics regarding growth in the financial services industry of South Africa, as released by Finscope (a comprehensive national household survey of financial services, needs and usage among all South Africans) in January 2010, showed that in about four years, that is, 2004 – 2008, growth in the insurance industry is dismal when compared with other sectors of the economy.
“The number of people who opened bank accounts, for example, increased by 7million over the period, while only 700,000 people took out life assurance and 200,000 applied for motor insurance. Whereas there were 7.7million cars on South African roads in 2003, only 2.2 million people had motor insurance in 2008.
Bamidele charged operators and the regulators to be innovative and more futuristic in planning their products. He said the type of policies being offered today policies are mostly elitist in nature and do not adequately address the needs of the larger Nigerian population who dwell in the rural areas. The consultant explained that there is too much concentration of marketing efforts in urban environments, while paying lip service to broadening of insurance business. Tracing the root of this backwardness, he said noting that lack of innovation and poor application of technology is part of the problems, early insurers in Nigeria and most parts of Africa concentrated only on the technical aspects of the business rather than developing the total business. Some of the areas which could have been better developed but where ignored include insurance marketing, enlightenment, management and technical aspects. Due to the prevailing poverty in the land, the operators under rated their capacity, as they fled from lucrative risks and concentrated on smaller premium, thus leaving the juicy pie to the foreign insurers. 
He also identified that “sharp practices by practitioners who charge low premium rates for some risks and inflate the rates of others because of their perceived belief that insurance is a ‘chop-chop’ business which only collect premium without paying claims.”
“Today, these challenges have been further compounded by the impact of the global financial meltdown, which is threatening the growth and development of the insurance industry. For us to be able to achieve the expected transformation of the insurance and reinsurance potentialities Bamidele stressed that there are a number of immediate issues worth considering. Some of these issues include market capacity, new products development, information technology and human resource development, effective regulation and supervision by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) and the Federal Ministry of Finance and to an extent the National Assembly, strict adherence to the principles of corporate governance and good practices as well as sustainable insurance awareness campaign.

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