General News
Analysts Call for Mergers and Acquisition Among Insurers
With the recent Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) directive that universal banking would be phased out soon, reprieve appears to be on the way of insurance companies who have been apprehensive about their capacity to excel. However while this may be good omen for the stand alone insurance companies, industry watchers opined that the best weapon available to insures is for further recapitalization and more mergers and acquisition. This, according to them, will reposition the industry for greater strength and ability to absorb the post consolidation challenges.
Mr. Wole Olajide, veteran insurance practitioner opined that the increasing foray of banks into insurance, though an indication of public confidence on the industry, an indication of the industry’s viability, the unfolding situation is a clarion call on the insurers to put their house in order.
According to him, the capital base of banks which brought the number of banks to 25, from its weedy and shaky number was what earned it the vast advantage while calling for a forceful merger by operators as a way of consolidating on on-going reforms in the industry.
Olajide warned that if this is not done, the little gains that the consolidation has achieved would be rubbished, adding that the insurance firms profile may not only dwindle but may even be swallowed by the banks which will emerge stronger in their strict adherence to core banking services.
He suggested that rather than having as many as fifty insurance companies, mmany of which are only maintaining big presence in selected cities, insurers should merge to a maximum of ten mega insurers of world ranking.
In pulling resources together, analyst believes that capacity building should be given accelerated boost. This would reposition them to compete effectively.
However, analysts believe that one corresponding area which operators need to focus on is capacity building. Their position is that given the rapid development which the industry has witnessed, enhanced capacity building, may be one of the greatest challenges facing its development.
Joseph Ako, insurance consultant and trainer stated that the rapid growth in the sector needs to be complemented by tools for improved fortunes. He therefore, tasked operators to embark on capacity building through sponsorship of seminar, conferences and other areas that would grow the industry further. He called for an All stakeholders summit with a view to fashioning out sustainable policies for the overall interest of the industry. He stated that there was a greater strength in pooling resources together than having insurance companies who cannot be among the top insurers in the world.
He commended the organizers of the Insurance Future Summit held in Abuja but cautioned that while it may be expedient to sponsor such for a, it was also desirable to evolve increased “home grown” conferences which will put the local operators on their toes.. Ako also called on operators to be more involved in relevant community sponsorship as part of their corporate social responsibility. He explained that the insurance sector has not been very prominent in this regard, a situation which as placed insurance business as superficial before the public who correspondingly view their services as undesirable.
According to industry watchers, the new financial strength of operators makes it mandatory for more branches to be established. If new branches are thus set up to match the growth, they content that the situation calls for customized training and development program which will not only make operators to be attuned to current market trends but also make their services to meet the growing demands of the insuring public.
He advised operators to aggressively pursue capacity building as it remains the only weapon needed to sustain the accompanying increased returns on investment, enhanced profit margins and strategic service delivery.
Corroborating, The insurance consultant challenged operators to embrace the dynamic innovations and service delivery platform of the banks. Unless this is done, he said, banks may swallow up 50percent of insurance core services, especially against the background of rising acquisition of insurance firms by banks and the existing incursion of banks into some traditional insurance businesses.
To be able to manage the huge demands, which the post-consolidation will herald in the sector; emphasizing that capacity building poses a big challenge in meeting sustainable capital adequacy, human resources development and upgrading of information Communication Technology (ICT).
Still on strategic alliances, this analyst explained that such would allow for uniform services such as the one being rendered by banks presently through various services such as e-banking.
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has ordered all international airlines flying into Nigeria to enforce the $10,000 currency declaration rule.
The authority said the rule is required for passengers to declare cash or negotiable instruments above the limit, as part of efforts to strengthen anti-money laundering compliance.
According to the NCAA, the directive, referenced as NCAA/CPD/ABV/298, dated 24 April 2025 seeks to address gaps in the enforcement of existing currency declaration obligations for inbound passengers.
This was announced in a statement issued by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Michael Achimugu, via his official X account on Tuesday.
“International carriers must take two key actions, which include “Make inflight or pre-landing announcements informing passengers of their legal obligation to declare any currency or Bearer Negotiable Instruments exceeding $10,000 USD or its equivalent upon arrival in Nigeria.
“Distribute currency declaration forms onboard for passengers to complete before landing. The NCAA has received reports indicating that some airlines are yet to comply with this directive”, the statement read.
The NCAA said these requirements are consistent with international best practices and are vital to preventing the illegal movement of large sums of money across borders.
The Authority warned that full cooperation from international airlines is essential, saying, “Please note that the cooperation of all international airlines operating in Nigeria is critical to supporting the country’s efforts to align with global financial standards.”
Accordingly, the authority emphasised that full implementation of this directive, particularly as it concerns inbound passenger declarations, is of utmost importance.
“Compliance will be closely monitored, and non-compliant airlines will face appropriate sanctions,” it added.
The court of appeal in Lagos has asked the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to revoke the certificate of registration of “KPMG Professional Services”.
In a unanimous decision delivered on Thursday, the appellant court granted the reliefs sought by KPMG Nigeria against CAC and KPMG Professional Services.
The judgment was read by Abdullahi Mahmud Bayero, the judge.
The two other judges are Abimbola Obaseki-Adejumo and A.M. Talba.
In 2002, KPMG Professional Services was registered as a company with CAC despite the existence of KPMG Nigeria, comprising its audit, tax, and consulting arms.
The KPMG Nigeria has long been registered in Nigeria before 2002.
KPMG Audit was registered in 1969, KPMG Tax Consultants in 1990, and KPMG Consulting in 1969.
Displeased with the registration of KPMG Professional Services, KPMG Nigeria approached the federal high court.
The consulting firm had argued that the name “KPMG Professional Services” was deceptively similar to its long-established identity.
In 2005, the lower court dismissed KPMG Nigeria’s case, citing an alleged merger between KPMG Nigeria and Akintola Williams Deloitte as reason the company could no longer assert rights to the name.
The lower upheld the second respondent’s (KPMG Professional Services) counterclaim and ordered that KPMG Nigeria’s name be struck off the CAC register.
The lower court had premised its decision on newspaper articles stating that KPMG Nigeria reportedly merged with Akintola Williams Deloitte.
Delivering the judgment, Bayero ruled that the lower court erred by relying on newspaper articles to ascertain that KPMG Nigeria allegedly merged with another company.
The judge said the documents showing the alleged merger were not presented before the lower court, and the form of the alleged merger could not have been known.
“In any event, the only branch of KPMG, if any, that entered into a merger with Akintola Williams as stated in the newspaper articles 18, is KPMG Audit,” the judge ruled.
“The other spheres were totally unaffected. It would therefore be wrong to state that the merger (which has not been shown to this Court) of KPMG Audit with Akintola Williams means all the other areas of business, including KPMG Consulting and KPMG Tax Consultants, also ceased to exist.
“Even if the Appellants (KPMG Nigeria) had ceased to do business as the Court seemed to have held, the 2nd Respondents (KPMG Professional Services) should not have been carrying on business until the Appellant’s certificate of registration is withdrawn or set aside.
“They cannot use the name until the Appellant’s certification of registration is withdrawn or set aside. They cannot use the name until the name is removed from the 1st Respondent’s (CAC) Register of Names.
“The 1st Respondents can only assign the name to the 2nd Respondents after first taking it away from the Appellants.”
The court ruled that CAC erred by registering KPMG Professional Services despite the existence of a business name, which is already registered.
The judge reversed the earlier ruling of the lower court and reaffirmed the primacy of statutory protection for existing business names under Nigerian corporate law.
Air Peace has announced the launch of direct flights from Abuja to London Heathrow and Gatwick airports, with operations scheduled to begin on October 26, 2025.
The airline said in a statement on Sunday that round-trip fares for the Abuja–London service will start from N1m, making it the first Nigerian carrier to offer direct connections from the capital to both of London’s major international airports. This was contained in a press release issued on Sunday by the airline’s spokesperson, Efe Osifo-Whiskey.
“Direct international flight services from Abuja to both London Heathrow and London Gatwick Airports, effective October 26, 2025.
“Air Peace becomes the first Nigerian carrier to offer direct services from Abuja to both of London’s major international airports, further solidifying its role as a leader in regional and intercontinental aviation.
“Travellers originating from any of Air Peace’s domestic destinations across Nigeria can now book through fares via Abuja to either Heathrow or Gatwick using a single ticket, eliminating the need for multiple bookings or baggage re-checks,” the statement read.
Similarly, the new route opens convenient access for inbound passengers from the UK to cities across Nigeria.
“Travellers from London can access multiple destinations across Nigeria using a single Air Peace ticket through Abuja every morning. These destinations are Lagos, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Benin, Warri, Owerri, Kano, Yola, Gombe and Asaba, for now. Other destinations will be added later,” Osifo-Whiskey stated.
Air Peace is also offering what it describes as unprecedented value in pricing and service.
Osifo-Whiskey said, “It provides a distinct competitive advantage, enabling passengers to travel between Nigeria and the United Kingdom with greater ease, efficiency, and value, due to the possibility of choosing multiple cities entry and exit points.
“Has the cheapest fares ever, starting from only 1 Million Naira round trip. Huge baggage allowance.”
The Abuja–London launch comes months after the airline began Lagos–London Heathrow flights, which started earlier in 2024.
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