General News
Insurance and Banking in Nigeria: Any Relationship?
Under the financial services sector, banks and insurance companies fall within the same tripod, alongside the capital market. As the Central Bank of Nigeria continues in its reform of the banking sector, the National Insurance Commission {NAICOM} has also not been left behind in the formulation of policies and other regulatory frameworks. However the question agitating the minds of industry watchers is why despite efforts put in place, the insurance industry has not occupied the ideal position in Nigeria. Elsewhere, insurance provides a leadership role to other segments of the financial sector, with many banks being owed by insurance companies. What is the role of insurance in the development of any economy, particularly in Nigeria where insurance seems to be crawling instead of running. While appreciating the professional efforts already in place to change the trend, it is expedient to guide the public on what relationship if any, exists between the banks and insurance. According to Mr. Adeyemo Adejumo, managing director of Continental Reinsurance plc, “traditionally, the financial services sector is commonly classified along the lines of banking and non-banking institutions with insurance taking a pride of place in the latter class.” He explained that “globally, banking and insurance have evolved as playing leading roles in the activities of the financial services industry, stressing that over the years, there have been arguments and counter arguments about the ‘ideal’ relationship that should exist between banking and insurance practices and this has also been recognized by governments around the world.” The Continental Reinsurance boss who delivered a paper on the relationship between banks and insurance at a public forum, said that in the United Kingdom for instance, the Financial Services Authority (FSA) was established as the single regulatory body for both the banking and insurance industries, in recognition of the fact that although some differences may exist in their operation, to a great extent there exist some meaningful relationship between them. He said the Financial Services Act of 1999 has far-reaching and major implications towards the movement of globalization in the banking industry. The bill first and foremost, he said, allows mergers between different sections of the industry that were previously not allowed, a situation which allowed insurance companies to merge with banks.
Adejumo explained that in Canada, for instance, the Bank Act and accompanying regulations contain specific rules pertaining to chartered banks and their involvement in the insurance business. The Insurance Business (Bank and Bank Holding Companies) regulations authorize banks to sell certain insurance products closely related to their lending businesses. Banks may also sell other types of insurance through subsidiary companies, subject to certain restrictions. He explained that as a result of the globalization and liberalization of the financial services industry, many financial institutions are participating in the business activities of other financial institutions, banks and insurance companies in particular. “Several European countries have made considerable regulatory changes regarding the banking and insurance sectors. Although regulatory changes vary from country to country, there has been a pan-European trend towards the ‘Universal Bank’ and the limitations of the past no longer exist. Banks are now able to operate across a broader range of activities, including insurance, via legally independent risk carriers. The insurance companies and banks are not competing within just the life insurance industry and banking industry respectively anymore but within the wider financial services marketplace,” he said. The reinsurance expert stressed that in Nigeria, following the Central Bank of Nigeria’s approval-in-principle of the adoption of universal banking, it released Guidelines for the Practice of Universal Banking in Nigeria in December 2000.
According to the guideline banking business in Nigeria was defined as “the business of receiving deposits on current, savings or other accounts, paying or collecting cheques drawn or paid in by customers, provision of finance, consultancy and advisory services relating to corporate and investment matters, making or managing investment on behalf of any person and the provision of insurance marketing services and capital market business or such other services as the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria which may, by gazette, designate as banking business.” This implied that banks are free to choose which activity or activities to undertake, whether it is money or capital market activities or insurance marketing services or a combination thereof and are expected to comply with the guidelines specified for such activity or activities.
Consequently he said, a bank will be regulated based on the type of activities it engages in.
This situation led to the issuance of a single uniform license to all conventional banks which are
Nigeria Hydrological Service Agency (NIHSA) has warned of possible floods in parts of Adamawa, Bauchi, Edo, Imo, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Kaduna, Plateau, Niger, Benue, and Borno states within the next seven days.
According to information posted on NIHSA X handle, the Agency announced medium flood advisory in force for the next 7 days across Adamawa, Bauchi, and 11 other States.
“Localised inundation is forecast along the main channel; named communities below sit on the projected footprint. Stations: Saminara on the Karam river, Waya Dam Site on the Waya river, Amber on the Amber river.
“Adamawa; Lemsa, Lamurde, Numan Exposure: 147 comm. 49 schis 40 hith 6 mkts17 relig. Bauchi-Bauchi, Ningi, Shira. Exposure: 4 comm. Kaduna; Chikun, Giwa, Igabi, Jaba, Jema’a, Kachia, Kaura, Kauru, +6 more. Exposure: 1 comm.
“Borno-Gubio, Mobbar. Exposure: 680 comm. 8 schls 6 hith 5 mkts 21 relig. Edo-Akoko-Ed, EtsakoEa, EtsakoWe, Ikpoba-Okha, Orhionmw, OviaNort, OviaSo.. Exposure: 3 comm.
“Imo-Aboh-Mba, Oguta, Ohaji/Eg, Okigwe, Owerri North, Owerri West. Exposure: 3 comm. 7 more states affected and severity LGAs”.
NIHSA advised people in the affected areas to “do NOT cross flooded roads, bridges, or fast-moving water on foot or by vehicle.
“Clear drainage channels and river-mouth blockages; avoid building or living in the floodplain and move people, livestock and valuables from the floodplain to pre-identified higher ground,” NIHSA stated.
General News
First Trustees Advocates Estate Planning as an Essential Tool in Every Wealth Creation Strategy
First Trustees Limited, a subsidiary of FirstHoldCo Plc., and a leading provider of fiduciary and trusteeship services in Nigeria, is encouraging individuals, professionals, entrepreneurs, and investors to view Estate Planning not as an end-of-life exercise, but as a strategic investment tool for protecting, preserving, and transferring wealth across generations.
As more Nigerians focus on wealth creation through businesses, real estate investments, and other income-generating assets, experts are emphasizing that building wealth is only one part of the equation.
Equally important is creating structures that ensure those assets remain protected, properly managed, and seamlessly transferred to succeeding generations in accordance with the asset owner’s wishes. Importantly, Estate Planning is not solely for the wealthy, it is a prudent step for anyone with assets, dependants, or a business to protect, regardless of age, profession, or net worth.
Speaking on the importance of Estate Planning, Ereifemi Akeredolu, Managing Director/CEO, First Trustees Limited, noted that Estate Planning should be considered a core pillar of every long-term financial strategy.
“Many people focus on creating wealth but give litle thought to preserving it. Estate Planning is a wealth protection strategy that helps individuals safeguard their assets, secure their family’s future, and ensure that the value they build today continues to benefit future generations.”
Using tools such as Trusts, Wills, and advanced succession plans, individuals can build structures that support wealth preservation, business continuity, asset protection, and intergenerational wealth transfer.
For entrepreneurs and business owners, Estate Planning serves as a powerful tool for ensuring business sustainability, helping organizations remain stable and operational regardless of unforeseen circumstances.
First Trustees continues to emphasize and educate on the importance of Estate Planning as a comprehensive strategy for proactive planning. It remains one of the most important financial decisions an individual can make: it provides clarity, minimizes uncertainty, and protects assets from unnecessary erosion and disputes. It also creates financial security for loved ones, supports business succession and continuity, and facilitates long-term investment and legacy planning.
General News
Nearpays, Nigerian Fintech Becomes First African Startup to Win UN’s AI for Good Innovation Factory
Nearpays, Nigerian fintech, has won the AI for Good Innovation Factory grand finale — the first African startup ever to take the global title in the competition, which runs as part of the United Nations’ AI for Good Global Summit.
The competition drew more than 500 startups worldwide, each pitching AI solutions aimed at social and economic challenges.
The summit itself is organised by the UN through the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in partnership with several UN agencies, convening governments, researchers, startups, and technology companies around AI’s role in development.
Nearpays’ route to the title ran through Johannesburg, where it won the African regional competition, before advancing to the global finals in Geneva.
There, the company progressed through the semi-finals and claimed the grand finale — a first for the continent.
The company describes the win as bigger than a corporate milestone, calling it a victory for African innovation and proof that technology built to solve local problems can compete, and win, on the world stage.
Nearpays was founded to close a stubborn gap in African payments: small and medium-sized businesses that can’t afford or access traditional point-of-sale terminals.
Cost, availability, and deployment hurdles have kept many merchants — particularly in rural and underserved communities — locked out of digital payments.
Its answer is SoftPOS: an AI-powered platform that turns compatible Android smartphones into payment acceptance devices, letting merchants take contactless card payments with nothing more than their phones. AI is embedded across the platform, supporting payment processing, compliance, fraud detection, and business operations.
Crucially, the platform was built for African infrastructure realities — it works both online and offline, so merchants can keep accepting payments even without internet connectivity.
The company credited its team’s years of product development and customer engagement for the result, and thanked the UN, the ITU, and the AI for Good initiative for building a platform where innovators can apply AI to real-world problems.
It also said it hopes the win encourages more African founders to build technology that answers local needs while competing internationally.
For Nearpays, the title closes one chapter and opens another, as the company pushes on with expanding digital financial infrastructure across Afric
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