Osijo is Inspenonline Insurance Man of The Year

Osijo is Inspenonline Insurance Man of The Year


Fola Daniel gets Good Leadship Award
Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc named Insurance Company of the Year



The Management of Inspenonline, Nigerian's first Insurance and Pension Online media Channel, has named the President Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) Mrs Laide Osijo, the Insurance Man of the Year 2012.

She emerged top, out of many insurance operators considered for the award. Within the short period she has been on the saddle of leadership of the largest insurance brokers fraternity in African, she has distinguished herself and has used her wealth of experience to reposition insurance practice.

The Commissioner for Insurance Fola Daniel was awarded the Good Leadership Award, for his steps in repositioning the industry and providing adequate security for policyholders.

Mutual Benefits was named the Insurance Company of the year. The company was picked due to its stride in Retail Insurance through well developed Micro-Insurance channel.

OSIJO'S PROFILE

For Osijo, coming into the insurance industry about four decades ago was providential. She had desired to become a lawyer, an ambition that was fueled by her innate passion to render succor to the helpless. But as fate would have it, she ended up being an insurance practitioner, through which her name has been etched indelibly on the sands of time.

It is most auspicious that her sojourn in the profession has been holistic, having had working stints in all the constituents of the industry, namely underwriting, reinsurance and now, broking.

Her journey to becoming the first female president of the NCRIB was anchored on sheer determination, tenacity of purpose and a "can do" spirit. Said she: "I made up my mind on my first visit to the NCRIB Secretariat to give anything it would take to be the first female president while I waited to be attended to, my eyes strayed to the photo platform where pictures of all past presidents of the Council were hung".

Amazingly, there was no picture of a single female president produced by the Council. Right there Osijo began to work on what later became a reality on October 13, 2011 when she was sworn in as the 16th and first female president of the 50 year old umbrella body.

From the content of her inaugural speech, Barrister Osijo, who hails from Oke- Igbo in Ondo State, demonstrated clarity of purpose as she marshaled her plans, which among other things included; empowerment of the Council’s Area Committees, ensuring professionalism and ethics and the restoration of the pride of insurance broking professionals.

She promised to maintain an effective relationship with strategic stakeholders within and outside the country as well as adding greater value to members through effective human capital development and ensure a resounding celebration of the landmark 50th anniversary of the Council.

Half way into her tenure, the Council and its more than 500 members have a convergence of views about the fact that the lot of the body has inched up considerably, far above their anticipation.

　

ACHIEVEMENTS

Some of the notable achievements in the last one year included the considerable improvement in the relationship between the National Insurance Commission and the Council, notably as regards the entrenchment of ethical standards amongst operators.



The two bodies have seen the need to uphold the position of the law by recognizing and asserting that registration with the NCRIB was a condition precedent to licensing by NAICOM. This singular step has wiped out the usual discrepancies in the record of members being kept by the Commission and those registered with the NCRIB.

The implication is an attendant improvement in the image of the council in the eyes of the public and the elimination of unethical practitioners.

Also, the Council has continued to make greater in- roads with such stakeholders as the National Assembly which recognizes the input of the Council in crucial decisions that affect the Council and the insurance industry generally.

The appearance before the national assembly by the Council during which it made its input through Barrister Osijo coupled with the dialogue on "NO Premium No Cover Policy" are evidence of this mean achievement.

In the realm of business, the Council has played up its voice in advising government and its agencies on the benefits of patronizing insurance brokers for their insurances. It had been more vociferous in advocating for due payment of insurance premium by government agencies and the need to shift, when necessary, renewal periods of government parastatals to avoid delayed premium payment.

This campaign has been taken unrelentingly to several government institutions and parastatals of government across the country.

Perhaps one of the most outstanding feats recorded under Osijo is the grand celebration of the landmark 50th anniversary of the Council during which net worth individuals across the professions and institutions were in attendance.

The event which was given expression to through the three major events namely; the public presentation of the landmark anniversary book entitled "Insurance Broking in Nigeria: Issue and practice"; the commissioning of the Insurance Brokers House and an Anniversary Lecture cum Award Dinner showcased the NCRIB as a professional body to be reckoned with amongst its peers in Nigeria.

Notably, the "Insurance Brokers House" has redefined the architectural landscape of the Yaba axis in Lagos and could rank as one of the best office complex of any professional body in Nigeria. The edifice has no doubt buoyed up the image of the Council and at the same time enhanced the morale of the Secretariat staff.