The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has urged the Professional Insurance Ladies Association (PILA) to use its position to influence acceptance of insurance for better penetration and growth of the industry.
Sunday Thomas, commissioner for insurance and chief executive of (CEO) of NAICOM gave the advice during the investiture of Margaret Nkechi Moore as the 14th president of PILA held in Lagos.
Thomas said PILA as the foremost female professional body in Nigeria has over the years provided a forum for developing and promoting forthright professional insurance ladies, whose attributes would be the highest demonstration of empathy in relating with insurance policyholders.
He said insurance was becoming increasingly accepted as social intermediation, rather than a commercial concern and so requires that it is offered and sold in that sense.
“Suffice it to say that people are more likely to see the value and benefits of insurance when presented as a social product and with women in the lead, he said.
To the new president and her team, Thomas said: “I am highly confident that you and your team will work assiduously to see that women lead by example in deepening insurance penetration; using your influence as mothers, wives and above all women professionals to challenge the men that indeed you can do better.”
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On her trust of office, Margaret Moore said her administration will strive to have active PILA chapters in all the six geopolitical zones of the federation with Lagos remaining the hub.
On the PILA Africa project, she said her administration will key into the recommendations of the committee set up in 2013 in Gambia to work out modalities for the establishment of the body as a Pan African insurance ladies organisation.
“This administration shall key into this to ensure that it becomes a reality, up and running with well-established constitution for the growth and empowerment of African Insurance Women.”
On the 50th anniversary of PILA coming up in 2023, Moore said her administration will present a well-researched book on insurance that will be useful to practitioners, the insuring public and as an invaluable gift to students during the association’s annual career talk. “We believe that this will help in deepening the knowledge and penetration of insurance in Nigeria.”
Also part of her plan will be to establish PILA Corporative Society. “The benefits of a corporative society cannot be overemphasised, some of these are to help members in developing savings culture, easy access to loans, build local enterprises, and create decent jobs. With over 300 members, the time to tap into this opportunity is now.
Part of other programmes, she listed, include creation of job search portal, partnership with other professional women organisations, capacity building initiatives, PILA Website enhancement and effective management of the PILA House.
