The National Commissioner of Insurance, Olusegun Omosehin, has called on the stakeholders to prioritise the growth of the insurance sector in their decision-making process.

He said that at the send-off organised in his honour and that of the immediate past Director-General of the National Insurers Association, Mrs Yetunde Ilori, on Friday in Lagos.

At the evening filled with the testimonials of the character of the duo, Omosehin, who was appointed the CFI in April by President Bola Tinubu, lamented that the story of insurance in the country had not been properly told, hence the need to have all stakeholders working together to show results of their efforts.

He said, “I would like to appeal to all of us, let’s together be deliberate in taking this industry to greater heights. The story of insurance has not been properly told. We are doing so much but those things are only known to us. In some circles, I feel so disturbed with the way we are discussed. The answer to those things lies with us, especially those of us who are practitioners.

“I want to plead and appeal that the decision to change our story has to be deliberate and we must be focused to achieve it. The capacity to do that exists but sometimes maybe the willingness to make this happen could be an issue. I want to plead that we make insurance the priority when we are making our decisions.”

In her comments, Ilori, who was recently appointed the president of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria, expressed gratitude to the industry for their support during her time as the NIA DG, especially for the new secretariat building.

“Thank you to the entire industry. Without you, that building would not be standing. We completed the building and we didn’t borrow,” she stated.

The Chairman of NIA, Kunle Ahmed, described the duo as “beacons of inspiration guiding us through the challenges and triumphs with unwavering dedication and visionary leadership”.

“Under their leadership, our association has reached new heights, achieving new milestones and set a solid foundation for future successes. We celebrate not just the end of a role that they have played in our association but the beginning of a new chapter for both of them as they take on the mantle of leadership as commissioner at the National Insurance Commission and president of the CIIN, respectively. We are grateful for the elevation and wish them all the best in their next move,” he remarked.

The President of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers, Babatunde Oguntade, noted that Omosehin and Ilori were honest people who did not mince their words.

He added that brokers were great collaborators, who were willing to work in the interest of the sector.

“We need to collaborate and we must do it with team spirit,” Oguntade said.

Others who spoke at the event included former chairmen of the NIA, the former president of CIIN, Edwin Igbiti and the Managing Director of Rex Insurance, Ebelechukwu Nwachukwu.