General News
The Scramble for Africa Insurance Market. How beneficial?
That there is a vast market in the Nigeria’s insurance market is an understatement. While it could also be said that the big insurance companies have offices across selected states in Nigeria, it is difficult to find any of the insurance companies having offices in all the 36 states of the federation. Also, the large areas of unexplored businesses are enough to sustain any operator who chose to so dare. Yet, while these large business opportunities are waiting to be explored, Nigerian insurance companies have not relented in their scramble for Africa insurance market. Industry watchers have expressed concern over the fast rate at which these firms compete to deliver quality services to the detriment of local market is being pursued. Analysts say that the present level at which Nigeria insurers are rushing to the West Coast is alarming. At the last count, twelve insurance companies have opened subsidiaries in some African countries. Many more are on the verge of doing so.
Ordinarily, it is a thing of celebration for Nigerian insurance companies to be exporting insurance services to other countries. If for anything else, it would attract the much-needed foreign exchange to the country. However notwithstanding the beauty of this exercise, concerned industry watchers opined that it may not be healthy for the needed local penetration in Nigeria.
Their argument is hinged on the fact that some of these companies’ who are making waves in these African markets have not really established their foothold on the vast markets available in Nigeria.
Some see this as a mere ego trip while others tag it the scramble for the partition of African insurance market named after the historic partition of Africa.
Industry watchers believe that if the present scramble is not checked, Nigeria insurance companies may neglect the local market which needs full attention to rise to the level of the developed markets and accelerated development of foreign markets at the expense of the local one.
The question one may ask is, are some of the companies embarking on this scramble for African market well positioned for it? Of what benefit is a local insurer who has less than ten branches nationwide setting up subsidiaries in the West Coast?
According to concerned analysts, one of the main reasons why these companies are going abroad is because they want to meet the shareholders expectations.
They stated that some of these investors are so eager for a quick return on investments that waiting on the local market alone may not be enough to meet their demands.
Anther school of though believes that insurance is about risk taking so to some of these companies, there is need to explore any available opening anywhere whether for pure or speculative reasons.
At the moment, not less than 12 insurance companies have set up offices in the West Coast. Some have even gone as far as to the Far East and North African countries while more are exploring opportunities to join the band wagon train.
Out of the recapitalized insurance companies in Nigeria, a sizeable number have opened subsidiaries in Ghana, Liberia, Gambia, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Tanzania, Sao Tome & Principe, Conakry, among others..
Analysts are of the opinion that the actions of these companies are merely borrowing a leaf from similar moves by banks soon after the consolidation of Nigerian banks. However, some hold the opinion that the banks on such ego trips have good reasons to do so, having already consolidated their branch networks before embarking on it.
Industrial and General Insurance (IGI) is one of Nigeria’s biggest insurers. While acknowledging the fact that it has done so well on the local scene, the insurance giant is reputed to now have so much presence on the global scene that it has almost become a household name. In 2005, IGI successfully acquired 60per cent government of Uganda’s stake in National Insurance Corporation, thus becoming the first insurance company in Nigeria to achieve continental outreach.
IGI also has 60per cent controlling shares in Network Assurance Limited, Ghana, 60per cent holding in Gamstar Insurance in Gambia.
In like manner, IGI became the largest shareholder with 35percetn equity holding in SONARWA S.A., Rwanda. It also has significant presence in Sierra Leone and Tanzania.
Mr. Anthony Aletor, group managing director of Capital Express Insurance, had said at a forum that insurance companies should strive towards a good mix of their revenue base. One of the approaches to this, he said, is found in subsidiary operations which off-shore investments provide.
Supporting the adventure, he had said that what it portends is similar to the action of European Countries in the past to scramble for the African market because of the obvious advantages they stood to gain.
His support for off-shore investment also found anchor in the pattern of such investments which are spread across the difficult regions. The argument therefore is that it would be difficult for the investments to be uniformly plagued by adverse effects especially against the backdrop of the different socio-political and economic factors.
Another company that has also shown significant presence off-shore is Continental Reinsurance. According to Mr. Adeyemo Adejumo, managing director of the Company, Continental Re which is based in Nairobi, Kenya, is positioned to serve as a reinsure to many other countries outside Kenya. These countries, he said are Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Sudan.
As earlier said, the need to meet the companies obligations to shareholders inform some of these actions Staco Insurance Companies is among the young and dynamic ones venturing into the West Coast with a significance presence in Sierra Leone.
Mr. Fidelis Ako, managing director of Trinity Consulting Group , in a reaction challenged the local insurers to research not ways of breaking the insurance poor penetration leveling Nigeria, rather than opening subsidiaries abroad. He argued that if the insurance culture in those countries providing gat traction to Nigeria is weak, no reasonable company would invest in them.
He particularly frowned at the situation where some of these countries are not as large as one stake in Nigeria. “The size of some of these countries are smaller than one state in Nigeria which goes to show that it is the culture put in place by the people, the operators and the government at large” he said. Rather than embarking on ego tripping. Ako advised stakeholders to individually and collectively research into how to raise the aware level such that it becomes a necessity for every Nigerian to have insurance policy.
Recently, NICON Insurance opened a subsidiary in Sao Tome and Principe. According to Barrister Jimoh Ibrahim, group chairman, the venture into the tiny Island Country was born out of business boost .Industry watchers believe that one thing that seems to give added strength to this scramble is the poor exchange rate of the naira and the sliding economy. What do we stand to gain if our local insurers are becoming household names in other countries while they are not even known in many of the local government even in the major states of Nigeria. As the Nigerian insurance companies take us back to the legendary scramble for partition of Africa insurance markets, stakeholders are watching with keen interest to know how the action will benefit the nation’s fragile market.
General News
Moniepoint Commences DreamDevs Bootcamp to Transform 20 Top Engineering Talents into Industry-Ready Professionals
Following a call for applications in January 2026 and a rigorous selection process that drew over 9,000 applications from across the country, Moniepoint Inc., Africa’s leading digital financial services provider, has officially commenced the bootcamp for the second cohort of its flagship DreamDevs initiative aimed at bridging the tech talent gap in Africa by equipping recent graduates with industry-ready skills and real-world experience.
The initiative brings together 20 high-potential engineering graduates for an intensive nine-week programme designed to accelerate their development into industry-ready engineers. It will be recalled that candidates, who are recent university graduates from technology, computer science, and engineering fields were invited to showcase their foundational knowledge in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
The journey to the final 20 was marked by a multi-stage screening process designed to identify technical aptitude and learning potential. After the initial application review, candidates underwent an online HackerRank technical assessment. From this pool, 50 shortlisted applicants were invited to a physical code challenge, which determined the final participants selected to join the bootcamp.
“At Moniepoint, we believe that Africa’s tech talent can compete on any global stage if given the right environment. DreamDevs is our way of providing that bridge. We’ve seen the success of our first cohort, and this year we’re doubling down to not just to train, but to create a definitive pathway into full-time roles for those ready to engineer financial happiness across the continent.
DreamDevs is about building engineers who can think, solve problems, and contribute meaningfully to systems at scale. This bootcamp is where that journey begins,” said Felix Ike, Co-founder and CTO of Moniepoint Inc.
Delivered in partnership with Semicolon Africa, the bootcamp focuses on strengthening core engineering competencies through structured learning and real-world problem-solving. The curriculum is designed to move participants from foundational principles to production-grade software development, covering Java OOP foundations, data structures and algorithms, Spring Boot API development, and cloud infrastructure.
Participants will gain direct exposure to Moniepoint’s engineering environment, engaging with internal teams to understand how large-scale financial systems are built and maintained. Standout performers at the end of the nine weeks will secure six-month internship placements, with the strongest candidates eligible for full-time employment.
Wisdom Iyamu, one of the selected participants for the DreamDevs bootcamp expressed shock and appreciation.
“I was honestly shocked when I received the acceptance for the first stage. I have many friends who are equally talented and didn’t make it in, so I feel incredibly grateful and excited to be here. I actually applied because a close friend of mine, who is a huge fan of Moniepoint, convinced me to go for it. My expectation for this bootcamp is to learn exactly how to build products that scale. Whether it’s working at Moniepoint or being part of a team building the next billion-dollar idea, I want to be where high-impact engineering happens”, Iyamu noted.
DreamDevs aligns with Moniepoint’s broader vision of using technology to power the dreams of millions and engineer financial happiness across Africa. It complements the company’s existing talent development programs, including HatchDev – a collaboration with NITHub Unilag and the popular Moniepoint Women-in-Tech initiative, now in its sixth year.
The programme also sits in tandem with the federal government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative, for which Moniepoint serves as a key sponsor. By providing a specialised pathway from foundational training to employment, Moniepoint continues to invest in the people who will drive Africa’s digital economy forward while serving as the backbone of Nigeria’s small businesses and enterprises to catalyze economic prosperity.
Federal government has directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to suspend the introduction and rollout of new policies, regulations, or major regulatory changes until full compliance with the Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) Framework is achieved.
The directive, issued by Princess Zahrah Mustapha Audu, director general of the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC), is part of efforts to strengthen regulatory quality, ensure policy coherence, and improve the ease of doing business in Nigeria
According to the statement, the RIA Framework, which was formally implemented in January 2025, requires that all new policies or amendments introduced after the date must undergo review and approval in line with its provisions.
She noted the framework has already been circulated to MDAs by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and is also accessible on the PEBEC website.
MDAs are therefore expected to familiarise themselves with the framework and align their policy development processes accordingly.
Audu emphasised that while the government remains committed to working collaboratively with regulatory institutions, no new reform or policy would be allowed to proceed without being backed by clear and verifiable evidence.
She explained the directive aims to prevent policy shocks that could negatively affect businesses, investors and citizens, eliminate inconsistencies and frequent policy reversals, and institutionalise evidence-based policymaking across government.
The directive also seeks to enhance transparency, improve predictability, and boost stakeholder confidence in public policies, while ensuring adequate engagement to minimise resistance prior to implementation.
Consequently, all MDAs have been instructed to suspend any planned policy rollouts that have not yet been implemented, ensure that new policy proposals are supported by comprehensive RIA and necessary approvals, and integrate the RIA process into their internal policy formulation procedures.
They are also required to undertake structured and inclusive stakeholder engagement as part of policy development to improve acceptance and implementation outcomes.
The PEBEC boss added that MDAs can access the RIA Framework through its website or seek technical support from the council’s secretariat.
She, however, noted that exceptions would only be granted in cases of urgent national interest, subject to appropriate approval.
Audu stressed that cooperation from all MDAs is crucial to building a stable, consistent and business-friendly regulatory environment capable of driving sustainable economic growth and boosting investor confidence.
The Federal Government has unveiled a new digital platform, NITOUREY, aimed at showcasing Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage and tourism destinations to global audiences.
The initiative, introduced at a press conference organised by the Nigerian Tourism Development Authority, was described as a public-private partnership designed to project Nigeria’s diverse cultural assets.
Speaking at the event on Tuesday, the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, said the platform marked another step in repositioning Nigeria as a leading global destination for tourism, culture and creative excellence.
She explained that the digital project would harness the power of the creative economy and technology to amplify Nigeria’s cultural narratives while creating opportunities for young Nigerians, filmmakers, content creators and tourism operators.
Musawa said, “Today marks yet another significant step in our collective journey to reposition Nigeria as a leading global destination for tourism, culture and creative excellence.
“The initiative aligned with the administration’s economic diversification drive, noting that tourism had the potential to contribute significantly to national growth.
“President Bola Tinubu has a vision to use tourism as part of economic diversification and expansion, and NTDA can play a vital role in achieving that goal”.
She emphasised that NITOUREY would not only showcase destinations across the country but also create economic opportunities within the creative industry.
“Through this initiative, we are not only showcasing destinations across Nigeria but also creating opportunities for the creative industries, including filmmakers, content creators, tourism operators and young Nigerians within the creative economy,” she added.
The minister also stressed the importance of collaboration between government agencies, state governments and the private sector, noting that the platform was a PPP initiative designed to unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s tourism and creative sectors.
“This is a commendable PPP initiative that demonstrates the collaboration required to unlock the full potential of Nigeria’s tourism and creative industry,” she said.
She further assured stakeholders that the Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy would continue to support initiatives that enhance Nigeria’s visibility, attract investment and create jobs.
In his remarks, the Director General of NTDA, Ola Awakan, described NITOUREY as a transformative platform that will redefine how Nigeria is presented to the world.
He emphasised that tourism thrives on perception, visibility, and storytelling, noting that the platform will collaborate with key institutions, including the Nigerian Film Corporation, National Film and Video Censors Board, and the National Information Technology Development Agency, to deliver high-quality content.
Awakan added that the initiative is powered by a strong public-private partnership involving TOURCLIQ Creatives Limited and JM MiSA International Limited, underscoring the importance of collaboration in unlocking the full potential of Nigeria’s tourism and creative industries.
He further revealed that NITOUREY will spotlight iconic destinations across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, including Zuma Rock, Yankari Resort and Safari, the Argungu Fishing Festival, Ngwo Pine Forest and Cave, Obudu Mountain Resort, and Olumo Rock, projecting them to a global audience.
The platform is expected to serve as Nigeria’s premier tourism streaming platform, projecting the country’s culture, creativity and destinations to both domestic and international audiences.
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