President, Mrs. Laide Osijo
Nnamdi Duru
Insurance brokers under the auspices of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) have advised the Federal Government to put in place a proactive disaster management programme for the country.
This, according to them, would place government in a position to take care of the affected populace whenever natural and man-made disasters befall any part of the country.
The President of the council, Mrs. Laide Osijo, made this appeal in a chat with journalists during the induction of new members in Lagos recently. With the induction of 32 new members by NCRIB, the number of insurance brokers in the market has risen to 492.
The NCRIB President condoles with those who lost their relatives and properties in the flood currently ravaging some parts of the country. She advised government to design proactive disaster management strategies aimed at combating similar calamities in the future while educating Nigerians on why they should not build houses in flood prone.
According to her, government should also encourage Nigerians to shun habits capable of making the society vulnerable to natural and man-made disasters.
Osijo said the insurance industry on its part would readily mitigate insured losses resulting to individuals and governments at all levels.
The NCRIB boss also encouraged the newly inducted brokers to brace up for the unfolding global and regulatory challenges confronting professionals in the financial services sector. She also urged them to ensure that they operate within the laid down ethical and professional standards prescribed by the council and other regulatory agencies.
“You are coming in at a time when insurance business and operators in Nigeria are being challenged by several factors, notably; public image and global regulatory prescriptions and you must strive to play above board,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Deputy President of the council, Mr. Ayodapo Shoderu, advised the inductees to be creative by developing insurance products that meet the desires of the insuring public.
Shoderu noted that practitioners need to constantly remind themselves of the need to ensure that Nigerians embraced insurance as a way of life and a means of reducing the image and acceptance problems confronting the industry.