For over four decades, Bala Zakariyau’s name continues to reverberate in the Nigerian and West African Insurance markets, not only in the positions he has occupied as player and investor, but also in the human beings he has impacted.
Currently the chairman of FBS Re, Zakariyau has over 40-years’ experience in the insurance sector and has served on the Boards of more than 20 national and multinational institutions.
His passion for journalism, his for career no doubt accounts for why he has been a major supporter of journalism in Nigeria, which has not gone unnoticed.
Just recently, the Nigerian Association of Insurance and Pension Editors recognised Zakariyau for his contributions to the development of insurance and journalism in Nigeria.
A Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria, Fellow of Nigeria Institute of Management, Fellow of the Institute of Marketing and Fellow of the Institute of Directors.
He is the current president of Lagos
Business School (AMP4) and a member of the Governing Council of the Alumni Association (LBSAA). He was a Past President of, Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria.
He is a chartered insurer, and holds an Associateship of the Chartered Insurance Institute of the UK and holds a Masters in Business Administration.
Speaking when a team of NAIPE presented the 2025 Appreciation Awards to him in FBS Re Lagos Office , Zakariyau said he was doing what he felt should be done all the while, unknown to him that a body of journalists were observant of his activities.
He expressed his passion for the growth and development of insurance industry, especially, as he is ever ready to support every stakeholder, including journalists, critical to the future of the sector.
While appreciating insurance journalists who have been reporting the sector for decades during good and bad times, he said, “the advice, of course, I would give you is to continue doing journalism in the most ethical way. The point I would like to emphasise is to continue to do the things that you are doing in the most ethical way. Journalism can make or mar a man, but be the one who uses journalism to make a man because history don’t forget people of such virtue.
He has held various Senior and Management positions in the insurance sector before joining Niger Insurance Plc as a General Manager (Technical) in 1993. Due to the recognition of his professionalism and hard work, he quickly rose to the Executive Director Position that same year.
In 1997, he was appointed managing director of the company. After nine years of successfully heading the company’s affairs, he was appointed as Chairman of the company’s Board in 2006. He retired in December 2015 after 22 years of meritorious service to Niger Insurance.
He held key positions on various Federal
Government committees. He was a member of the Insurance law Review Committee in 1996 and Sub Committee Vision 2020 in 2009. He was also the Insurance Recapitalisation and Reform Committee Chairman in 2006 and Insurance Sector Reform Committee FSS 2020.
