E-Financial
Insurance Emerges Toast of Foreign Investors in 2014
More foreign investors are buying into the nation’s insurance sector, to bring their experience and expertise to drive insurance penetration in the country currently put at less than one per cent.
For instance, at the end of November this year, France’s AXA announced that it had acquired 77 per cent interest in Mansard Insurance, formerly GTAssurance, for €198 million.
AXA is not the first foreign entrant into the Nigerian market. It joined Old Mutual with the acquisition of (Oceanic Insurance), Sanlam of South Africa bought into (FBN Life Assurance), NSIA participation in (ADIC Insurance) and Greenoaks Global Holdings also bought into (Union Assurance).
AXA has taken the well-trodden path to insurance companies in sub-Saharan Africa, following Swiss Re investments in Kenya (Apollo Investments) and Prudential in Ghana (Express Life).
Analysts believe that the major driver behind the deals in Nigeria has been the decision by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to review Universal Banking licenses, which forced banks to divest insurance subsidiaries from their portfolios unless they opt for the holding company structure.
This led both GT Bank and Union Bank of Nigeria (UBN) to sell off their insurance subsidiaries.
Besides, the main driver, however, has been the positive demographics and rising household incomes across Africa, sometimes dressed up as the emergence of the middle class.
The new national accounts with a base year of 2010 were helpful in this respect. The same investment rationale can be applied to banks, retail, telecoms, and consumer goods manufacturing and advertising.
South Africa’s Sanlam views Nigeria as one of its star markets in Africa, noting that the operation achieved breakeven after little more than two years. It cited figures showing that insurance penetration stands at about 10 per cent in South Africa yet less than two per cent in Nigeria.
It might have added that the authorities are supportive, and we give the example of the requirement for all companies with at least five employees to provide life cover.
Also the regulation allows foreign companies to own insurance firms in full, and we can see their becoming the dominant players in the industry within this decade. This is obviously not the case with banking.
The industry regulator, the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), reported a total of N258 billion in gross premium income for 2013 and expects N1trillion by year 2018. The CME has projected N5 trillion within 10 years.
NAICOM data for 2013 show that the unlisted Leadway Assurance achieved the largest gross premium income (N41.8cbillion). The next four are all quoted on the NSE: AIICO (N22.8 billion), Custodian and Allied (N20.5 billion), Continental Reinsurance (N13.8 billion) and Mansard (N13.6 billion).
Federal Government of Nigeria has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Investonaire Academy to train 100,000 young Nigerians annually in forex trading, financial planning, and risk management.
The agreement, signed in Abuja, was announced by Omolara Esan, Director of Information and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Youth Development. According to her, the initiative is part of the government’s broader strategy to reduce youth unemployment and enhance financial inclusion.
At the signing ceremony, Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, described the partnership as a milestone in the ministry’s efforts to equip young Nigerians with practical financial skills. He emphasized that the programme would foster critical thinking, improve digital literacy, and expand access to global economic opportunities.
Speaking on the collaboration, Dr. Enefola Odiba, International Programme Director at Investonaire Academy, highlighted the importance of empowering youth with relevant financial and digital skills. He described young people as essential drivers of innovation and national development.
The ministry assured that the programme would be implemented with transparency and measurable outcomes, ensuring that participants gain practical expertise in forex trading and financial planning.
The Federal Government has recently intensified efforts to boost skill development across various sectors. A separate plan aims to train 100,000 artisans nationwide, following the successful upskilling of 29,000 individuals in previous phases. This initiative seeks to professionalize vocational trades, eliminate quackery, and introduce licensing systems.
Additionally, technicians from specialized institutions will receive industry-standard training to strengthen Nigeria’s labor force and increase self-reliance in skilled professions.
Through these efforts, the government hopes to position Nigerian youth for economic success both locally and globally.
Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has begun the final phase of liquidation for the defunct Premier Commercial Bank, initiating the payment of liquidation dividends to verified creditors, nearly 25 years after the bank’s closure.
Premier Commercial Bank had its operating license revoked by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on December 20, 2000, following findings of financial instability and regulatory non-compliance.
Since then, the NDIC has overseen the bank’s liquidation process under a winding-up order from the Federal High Court, which designated the corporation as the official liquidator.
In a public announcement, the NDIC invited all eligible creditors to visit any of its zonal offices between June 2 and June 27, 2025, to verify and claim their entitlements.
This move marks a critical milestone in the final settlement of claims related to the bank’s collapse.
To facilitate the verification process, creditors are required to present proof of deposit or shareholding, such as a passbook, chequebook, term deposit certificate, or bank statement.
Additionally, valid identification documents must be submitted, including a driver’s license, international passport, national identity card, NIN slip/card, voter’s card, or a formal identification letter from a traditional ruler or local government chairman.
The NDIC assured the public that the ongoing settlement is part of a broader effort to bring closure to longstanding claims resulting from Premier Commercial Bank’s liquidation. The process, according to the corporation, has been designed to ensure efficient disbursement to all verified stakeholders.
Premier Commercial Bank is one of 53 deposit money banks whose licenses were revoked by the CBN between 1994 and 2018 due to various violations and signs of financial distress.
These closures were followed by legal procedures appointing the NDIC to manage asset recoveries and creditor settlements.
By initiating this final phase of payment, the NDIC is reaffirming its commitment to financial system stability and depositor protection while calling on all affected individuals and institutions to complete verification processes promptly to receive their due compensation.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has directed all public companies and Registrars to stop treating unclaimed dividends older than 12 years as “statute-barred”, especially those dating from before the enactment of the Finance Act 2020.
The directive reaffirms the provisions of Section 60 of the Finance Act, which mandates that dividends unclaimed for over six years be transferred to the Unclaimed Funds Trust Fund (UFTF), where they remain accessible to shareholders pending claims.
The Commission said that shareholders are entitled to continue to claim their dividends that are not statute-barred (that is not above 12 years) before December 31, 2020 “when the Finance Act 2020, came into effect.”
According to the SEC in a Circular, “The attention of the Securities and Exchange Commission has been drawn to the fact that paying companies and their Registrars have continued to treat unclaimed dividends of public companies that are older than 12 years as being “statute-barred” without recourse to the provisions of the Finance Act 2020.
“In response to various inquiries on the subject, the Commission hereby clarifies as follows: The import of the provisions of Section 60 of the Finance Act 2020 (December 31, 2020), is that, where dividends declared by a public company quoted on the Nigerian Exchange Limited remained unclaimed for a period of six years or more, such dividends are expected to be transferred to the Unclaimed Funds Trust Fund (UFTF) to be held in trust and managed pending when the shareholder presents a claim for such unclaimed dividends.
“Pending the setting up and operationalisation of the UFTF by the Federal Government, pursuant to its powers under Sections 3 (4) (e) and 93 of the Investments and Securities Act 2025, the Commission hereby directs public companies and their Registrars to continue to honour all requests by shareholders for the payment of unclaimed dividends as described above, with effect from December 31, 2020”.
The Commission therefore directed public companies and Registrars to effect immediate compliance with the directive and submit periodic reports on same in the manner prescribed in the Commission’s Rules and Regulations.
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