E-Financial
Terrorism Financing: NAICOM Beams Searchlight on KYCG of Insurers

National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has started sending inspectors to insurance firms to ascertain whether they have been complying with the provisions of the law regarding money laundering and terrorism financing.
This is in compliance with the directive by the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) on terrorism financing; and the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act 2004, and the Know Your Customer Guidelines (KYCG) issued by the commission.
This measure is aimed at protecting insurance companies from reputational risks, shield them from operational and other risks and help them to establish reliable customers’ database in-house.
Sources close to NAICOM told to Daily Independent, that the commission has been sending inspectors to insurance firms to ascertain whether they have actually been complying with the provisions of the law regarding money laundering and terrorism financing.
NAICOM inspectors were trying to find out whether insurers have actually been establishing identity of customers, taking evidence of identification, carrying out certification where necessary or conducting physical inspection and creating a record of the evidence as required.
All insurance broking and loss adjusting firms are to display visibly in all their operation centers nationwide the provisions of the Money Laundering Act regarding their duty to file Cash Transaction Reports (CTRs) and Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) with the NFIU and forward copies to NAICOM.
Unlike in the past when insurers could just enter into a contract with anyone, the operators must now confirm the identity of their customers in compliance with the provisions of the KYCG aimed at fighting against money laundering and terrorist-financing.
KYCG “is the due diligence that financial institutions and other regulated entities must perform to identify their clients and ascertain relevant information before entering into financial relationship with them.”
The rationale for KYC requirements on insurance companies springs from the fact that it is now a legal and institutional requirement which protects institution from legal and reputational risks.
The insurance operators are also required to conduct KYCG checks before any business relationship is established, when an amendment to the original contract is being effected, and when previously lapsed policies are being revived.
The KYCG is mandatory for insurance companies in situations when they are dealing with any client for the first time and where a client insists on secrecy or refuses to provide requested information without a reasonable explanation.
Besides, it is necessary to conduct a KYCG checks on transactions where a company is worried about the honesty, integrity, identity or location of a client
E-Financial
GTCO to Become First Nigerian Bank to List on London Stock Exchange

By 8 am on July 9, GTCO Holdings is set to commence trading on the London Stock Exchange.
As the group is set to list all its shares on the London Stock Exchange, becoming the first Nigerian banking entity to do so.
This is as the group launches a public offer of new ordinary shares to raise approximately $100 million on the London Stock Exchange.
The equity offering, which is an accelerated bookbuild and managed by Citigroup, began on July 2 and is to last until July 31.
On July 31, the group announced that it would cancel the listing of its Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) on the UK Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Official List.
It will also cancel their admission to trading on the London Stock Exchange (LSE)’s main market.
In place of the GDRs, the group will list all its ordinary shares directly.
aims to admit all its shares to the equity shares category for international commercial companies under a secondary listing on the FCA’s Official List.
The shares will also begin trading on the LSE’s main market for listed securities.
According to a regulatory filing on the London Stock Exchange, the net proceeds from the offering will be used to recapitalize GTBank Nigeria.
Based on the prevailing exchange rate of N1,540 to the US dollar, the targeted $100 million equates to approximately N154 billion.
This capital raise is expected to position the Group to fully meet the N500 billion minimum paid-up share capital required by regulators for banks with international licenses.
As of now, both Zenith Bank and Access Holdings have already met—and exceeded—this threshold.
E-Financial
NAICOM Issues New Licenses to SanlamAllianz Life, General Insurance

The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has handed over new licenses to SanlamAllianz Life and General Insurance Nigeria Ltd at brief ceremony held in Abuja.
Olusegun Omosehin, commissioner for Insurance emphasized the Commission’s commitment to supporting the growth of insurance entities in the country, while ensuring strict compliance with regulatory requirements. He urged the companies to prioritize good corporate governance, stability, and timely claims settlement processes.
The Commissioner reiterated NAICOM’s dedication to removing unnecessary bottlenecks and improving the insurance industry’s overall performance. He expressed confidence that the merger would enhance the companies’ capabilities and contribute to the industry’s growth.
SanlamAllianz recently launched its operations in Nigeria, marking a significant step in the company’s Pan-African expansion.
The launch follows the merger of Sanlam and Allianz’s Nigerian operations, creating a new entity named SanlamAllianz Nigeria.
This joint venture aims to transform the Nigerian insurance landscape by offering enhanced customer experiences, innovative solutions, and improved financial inclusion.
E-Financial
World Bank Approves Extra $65m for Nigeria’s SPESSE

World Bank has approved an additional $65 million loan for Nigeria to support the Sustainable Procurement, Environmental, and Social Standards Enhancement (SPESSE) project, increasing the total financing for the initiative to $145 million.
The approval was granted on June 24, 2025, according to details posted on the World Bank’s website, which also indicates that the project’s status has moved to “active” following the approval.
The SPESSE project, initially launched with an $80 million loan approved in February 2020, aims to strengthen institutional capacity for managing procurement, environmental, and social standards in both the public and private sectors across Nigeria.
The World Bank described the project’s development objective as the establishment of sustainable capacity in these areas.
This latest approval is part of a broader wave of financing expected from the World Bank to Nigeria in 2025.
The bank is scheduled to approve loans totalling $1.61 billion over the coming months, supporting various development initiatives.
Among these is a $300 million loan for the ‘Solutions for the Internally Displaced and Host Communities Project,’ expected to be finalised by the end of July.
This project aims to improve access to basic services and economic opportunities for internally displaced persons (IDPs) and host communities in selected local government areas in northern Nigeria.
In September, the World Bank plans to approve four additional loans: a $10.5 million facility to support technical assistance for the Central Bank of Nigeria, a $300 million Health Security Program targeting Western and Central Africa (Nigeria – Phase IV), a $500 million project for building resilient digital infrastructure (BRIDGE), and a $500 million loan under the Nigeria Sustainable Agricultural Value-Chains for Growth project aimed at promoting sustainable growth and job creation within key agricultural sectors.
Earlier in March 2025, the bank approved three financing requests amounting to $1.13 billion.
These funds are directed towards projects focused on enhancing quality education, boosting household and community resilience, and improving nutrition.
Among the approved loans were $80 million for the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria 2.0 project, $552 million for the HOPE for Quality Basic Education for All programme, and $500 million for the Community Action for Resilience and Economic Stimulus Programme.
In February, the Nigerian government announced expectations of new World Bank loans totalling $2.2 billion for six different projects in 2025. This follows a $1.5 billion loan disbursed in 2024 aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s economic stability and resource mobilisation efforts.
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