The issue of whether or not bancasurance should be allowed a foothold in the industry has attracted attention in times past, especially soon after the recapitalization exercise. Many operators kicked against it, noting that if the ‘monster’ was allowed to stay, the industry would be swallowed up by banks. This was more so as the latter had made significant in-roads into the hitherto exclusive preserve of the insurers. One of those that opposed the move was the National Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) which expressed fear that the practice would erode public patronage of insurance brokers in preference to banks – owned insurers and brokers. The council had protested vehemently to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on what it called an unethical practice among banks in the selective ways they engaged brokers. According to the NCRIB, the practice as it then stood, was a deviation of the rules of universal banking as practiced else where. It stated that part of the prescription of universal banking was that no bank should compel its customers to do business through any particular insurance company, including those owned by the banks. Unfortunately, the council stated, this golden rule was being violated. In an interview earlier granted this writer, Biyi Otegbeye, managing director of Regency Assurance plc, allayed the fear of some insurers, especially the stand alone insurers that bancassurance was a good omen after all. He argued that notwithstanding the branch network of banks over insurance firms, the gains of the practice will not have any undue advantage over the insurers. He stated that in doing business, the insuring public would be guided by choice and in the quality service delivery of the operators. After over three years of practice, its gains have been unfolding in fascinating ways. While speaking at a recent forum, Adeyera Adeyemo, managing director of Continental Reinsurance plc, painted a glowing picture on the gains of banc assurance not only to insurance firms but also to banks.
Adeyemo explained that banc assurance was a mutually beneficial practice which should be encouraged to survive, stating that the ability to tap into banks’ huge customer bases stands it out as its major incentive. “The extensive customer base possessed by banks is considered to be ideal for the distribution of mass-market products such as individual life assurance and householders/house owners insurances. On the other hand, insurers can make use of the wide reach of bank customers to categorize potential clients in detail according to their needs and values. With increasing sophistication on bancassurance operations, some insurers can also focus on the high-net-worth segment, which offers greater potential for wealth management business”, he said.
Apart from the ability to tap into new customers groups, another area is escaping from the high cost of captive agents, prompting insurers to look into alternative channels. In some cases, teaming up with a strong bank can help to fund new business development opportunities and boost public confidence in the insurer.
He highlighted some of the benefits to the industry to include tapping into  huge customer base of banks, especially as the bank’s client base may well be ‘virgin territory’ for the insurance company and so a new source of business.
Explaining further, he said that bancassurance helps in reducing reliance on traditional agents by making use of the various channels owned by banks. The reinsurance chief added that the practice also bring about shared services and cost with banks, thereby reducing the overhead cost of stand alone operators. He stressed that combining the bancassurer’s business with the other business of the insurer can produce economies of scale in administration costs (including capital expenditure). This in turn allows the insurer to improve profitability and to price future products with narrower margins, which helps to make the insurer’s products more competitive;
Adeyemo further expressed support for the practice along the line of developing new financial products more efficiently in collaboration with their bank partners. The economy of banc assurance operations allows the insurer to offer products which are not feasible through the insurer’s existing channel. For example sales cost incurred under existing channels may force premium rates for a product to be uncompetitive, so the product is not sold whereas the cost via the banc assurance channel may be low enough to make it feasible.
The insurance boss opined that if encouraged by all, the practice would significantly help in establishing market presence rapidly without the need to build up a network of agents. This is in addition to obtaining additional capital from in order to improve their solvency and expand business as well as leveraging on the bank’s brand to expand their market
He added that the concept was of mutually beneficial ways to both banks and insurance companies. He said both bank and insurer has great opportunities to learn and make improvements in their own operations.  In the present disposition of global economic meltdown, the Continental Re boss explained that bancassurance was critical to making both banks and insurance firms the added opportunity of getting exposed to each other’s distinctive management styles, objectives and measures. These benefits come when either company can implement changes as a result of the learning process. However, he stated, “in the wake of the global financial crisis, the bancassurance model has been called to question and its continued relevance and benefits being challenged.”
Adeyemo expressed the fact that the model is not entirely without fault. To buttress his point, he stressed that in Europe, there has been some developments which tended to erode public confidence. For instance, he said financial services giant, Fortis and its banking subsidiary ABN Amro recently broke up. Recently also, he added, “German insurance group Allianz sold its interests in Dresdner Bank. Across the channel, UK insurer Standard Life has also announced the sale of its banking arm to Barclays. Although not quite a bloodbath, there has certainly been some bloodletting among European bancassurance practitioners in the wake of the global financial crisis.”
Financial crisis notwithstanding, insurers continue to rely on banks as an important force to distribute their products and grow their business. The reputation of banks and financial institutions has been severely tarnished in the current financial turmoil. With so many casualties in the financial crisis, can banc assurance weather the global financial storm? What can banks and insurance companies do to boost confidence and regain trust from customers at a time when alleged cases of mis-selling of financial products over the bank counters abound?
Adeyemo stressed that in the past few years, “sales of investment-linked products have experienced significant growth, bolstered by stock market growth. But now, the global financial crisis has taken its toll on bancassurance business, particularly on sales of investment-linked products.” He mentioned the case of Hana HSBC Life Insurance Company in Korea is worth mentioning at this point which is a joint venture union between Hana Insurance of the Hana Financial Group (HFG) and HSBC Insurance (Asia-Pacific) Holdings Limited.
Pointing the way forward, he said these examples achieved remarkable progress despite the turbulence that had beset the financial industry over the intervening months. “We have seen premiums grow by 36 percent and policies by 11 percent, beating the market average,” he said. According to sources close to them, he explained, capital had been injected to fuel expansion and described Hana HSBC Life Insurance as a “stable platform whose growth had outperformed the industry.”
The global financial crisis may have done its worst but the reinsurance chief emphasized the fact that there’s light at the end of its dark tunnel. Interestingly despite this crisis insurance companies have continually identified a number of benefits arising from the concept of bancassurance.