Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA), umbrella body for risks underwriting companies in the country, said it would deploy the Nigerian Insurance Industry Database (NIID) to check the increasing rate of fake marine insurance in the industry.
According to the association, the NIID marine insurance module would be ready by the end of the second quarter of next year while awareness programme on the database would commence immediately.
NIID is an electronic platform established by the NIA to serve as a vehicle for easy identification of genuine insurance documents by relevant authorised persons, monitor insurance transactions and reduce fraud in insurance transactions.
It is currently being deployed to capture all the third party motor insurance transactions in the country with a view to extending it to other types of compulsory insurances in due course.
Mr. Sunday Thomas, director general of the association, said the NIID marine insurance module was designed to eliminate fake marine insurance certificates in circulation across the country.
“Marine module should be ready before the second quarter. We have engaged a Programmer resuming January 1, 2014. If they are able to conclude work on the module, the banks would have to reach individual companies to get details of their marine insurance business.
“Rather, the banks would link up to the NIID marine insurance module to get such details. When it is ready, we will increase awareness on this,” Thomas said.
The NIA boss applauded the NIID motor insurance module that has been in existence in the last three years, saying the success achieved this far has spurred the association to move on to the second phase of the programme, which is marine insurance module.
Thomas said the association was collaborating with security agencies such as the Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO), Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and the police to ensure the successful implementation of the motor insurance module across the country.
Throwing more light on the database, Thomas said “NIID is not an alternative to motor insurance certificate because the law requires that drivers must carry your certificate. What the NIID provides is a verification that actually, what you are holding is what the law requires/ because the law requires that it is only registered insurance companies in Nigeria who can issue you with a valid motor insurance certificate.”
The association has also assured stakeholders that the database would facilitate easy collation and dissemination of statistical date of all insurance companies and serve as a vehicle for easy identification of genuine insurance documents by relevant authorised persons.