Ebere Nwoji
The Chairman, Association of Corporate Affairs and Communication Managers of member companies of Nigeria Insurers Association (CAMCONIA) Dr. Tunde Odeyemi, has urged members of the association, who constitute mouth piece and image makers of insurance institutions in Nigeria, to brace up to the challenge of unbundling the potential and benefits of insurance profession to the Nigerian populace through incisive and clear communication method.
Odeyemi, who tasked the association at the 2016 edition of its annual retreat held in Abeokuta, Ogun State, recently noted that the Nigerian Insurance Industry has been bedeviled by low penetration problem caused by cultural beliefs, lack of trust and ignorance on the part of the insuring public.
“It is no longer news that the Nigerian insurance industry has been bedeviled by low penetration occasioned by multifarious reasons bordering mainly on unfriendly cultural beliefs; lack of trust in the practitioners, lack of insurance education and unfriendly economic environment, among others.
He said: “Unfortunately, these reasons have remained the bane of insurance in the last five decades and it is responsible for the abysmal contribution of the industry to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.”
Odeyemi, who is also the Corporate Communications Manager of Staco Insurance Plc, regretted that in spite of the catalytic role of insurance to national economies of progressive countries, the industry has continued to find itself in the back waters of development.
He said coincidently, these same reasons are the core tasks of communication within the boundaries of the association’s portfolio as Corporate Affairs and Communication Managers.
“It then means that we as public relations or communications practitioners, as the case may be, need to brace up to unbundle the potentials and benefits of insurance more clearly to the Nigerian populace.
He noted that rumour, half-truths and unbelief thrive in an environment where communication is lacking, adding that the annual retreat among other reasons was meant to deliberately enhance the members of the association’s own personal knowledge, power and reputation management skills.
He said this would in turn translate in the members’ better service delivery, leading to an improved insurance industry.
He noted that it is the task of the industry operators and professionals in the contemporary times to continually train and re-train themselves in order to catch up with the trend of the times adding that it is a delusion for any professional to remain stagnant in changing world and expect to make impact.
According to him, the retreat has becomes pertinent and there is no better time to champion the discourse on the impact of PR on Insurance and Risk Management than now, given the recessive state of the national economy and the need to accentuate the value of insurance to reflating the economy than now.
