SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE NIGERIAN COUNCIL OF REGISTERED INSURANCE BROKERS, MR. SHOLA TINUBU, ACII, FCIB AT THE APRIL 2018 EDITION OF NCRIB MEMBERS’ EVENING HELD ON TUESDAY, APRIL 24, 2018 IN LAGOS
• Distinguished members of the NCRIB Governing Board
• Management Team of Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc, led by the Management Director, Mr. Olaotan Soyinka
• Our Guest, The Director General, Nigerian German Business Association, Mr. Gbenga Adebija
• Our guests here present
• Gentlemen of the Press
• Ladies and Gentlemen
I am most delighted to welcome you all to the April edition of NCRIB Members’ Evening which is being hosted by Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc. Permit me to start by appreciating your attendance at Council’s functions. Your attendance at a forum like this reinforces our cohesiveness as a body and continually boosts my confidence that our highlighted vision and aspiration for a self-regulatory Council is on course. Your support, suggestions, comments and commendations are source of encouragements that is assisting us in navigating the odds. I use this medium to appeal to colleagues, who are still maintaining a distance towards Council’s activities to have a change of heart as we can only survive through constant bonding and exchange of ideas on a continual basis. It is worthy to note that the Council’s bi-monthly Members’ Evening, a platform for interaction between insurance brokers and leading underwriters in the market, has remained an event that Underwriters now jostle to host. Even companies outside our industry are willing to proudly identify with us by sponsoring this Evening. It therefore behoves us to complement the evening with our continuous attendance as this would help its sustenance. You may also wish to note that your attendance at this event also counts towards your MCPD Grading points.
It is my honour to specially welcome the Management team of Sovereign Trust Plc ably led here today by its Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Olaotan Soyinka. Your desire to host this Members’ Evening has further underscored the fact that Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc is truly Broker Friendly. I have no iota of doubt in my mind that Sovereign Trust has again etched its name on the minds of Insurance Brokers. I can only assure you that going forward; your business would never remain the same. Shortly, you would be called upon to address this auspicious gathering.
May I also use this opportunity to welcome into our midst, the Director General, Nigerian German Business Association, Mr. Gbenga Adebija and his team. The presence of NGBA team at our meeting today further underscored the commitment of the two bodies to collaborate for a common goal. I am convinced that after today’s meeting, our working relationship will be enhanced. Also, at the appropriate time, Mr. Adebija will briefly address us, highlighting the benefits of NGBA and areas of collaboration between both institutions, particularly the collaboration we are seeking towards the forthcoming international trip being planned in concert with NGBA in the month of August 2018.
CEOs’ RETREAT:
I am most delighted to inform you that efforts are in top gear to ensure a hitch free Chief Executive Officers’ Retreat in 2018. Interestingly, this will be the first CEO’s Retreat that I will be presiding over as the President of the Council. Baring all unforeseen circumstances, 2018 CEO’s Retreat is billed to hold in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. The CEOs’ Retreat, as the name implies, is a yearly platform whereby Insurance Broking leadership come together for the purposes of re-strategising, fraternizing and sharpening their professional skills. The Retreat has attained the reputation of tickling the excitement and expectations of participants. The Retreat, tagged Uyo 2018, is scheduled to hold between Wednesday, 27th and Saturday 30th, June 2018 and will be featuring a pleasantly stimulating and exciting theme entitled “The Future Brokers”. You will agree with me that the choice of the theme is timely considering our current business environment and national policies. I believe that these four day event would definitely re-sharpen your business perspective and skill and put your company on higher pedestal of profitability and growth. Any firm that would succeed at this period, undoubtedly, must embrace logical strategies and continually learn the dynamics of growing business. This is the fulcrum of the 2018 CEOs’ Retreat. I can authoritatively inform you that the CEO’s Retreat has been repackaged to meet the World’s best standard. A little departure from the norm, the 2018 CEO’s Retreat will feature a breakout session under different topics, relevant to our business environment. Do not forget that one of the highpoints of the event is the uncommon Novelty Match. Without letting the cat out of the bag, I would like to inform you that beyond that, other games and exercises have been introduced such as tug of war, catching the train etc. Ahead of the match, I would like to congratulate my team members against team Deputy President. You can always trust and look forward to some display of soccer techniques, dexterity and skills which can only be found where you have the best football coach in the world. I like to personally invite all CEOs and other eligible staff of Member Companies to attend this year’s CEOs Retreat. It promises to be the best ever.
NCRIB PUBLICATION OF ELIGIBLE MEMBERS:
One of our statutory responsibilities every year is to publish the names of all eligible members of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers in National Dailies. I would like to inform you that it is time for the Council to carry out this statutory obligation. Leveraging on past experiences, Brokers that failed to meet up with the requirements for the publication, often face lots of challenges in business due to the attendant negative image that non-inclusion attracts. I therefore urge you to regularize your membership status with the Secretariat, pay your subscription to merit the list. Delay they say is often dangerous!
2018 BIBA CONFERENCE AND OTHER INTERNATIONAL TRIP
Our Council has continued to strengthening its ties with other relevant international bodies. One of such is the British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA). This has informed our regular attendance of BIBA Conference. I like to inform you that a good number of Council members will be attending the 2018 Conference of the Association, holding in Manchester, the United Kingdom from Tuesday, May 14 to Friday, May 19, 2018. The theme of the Conference is Innovate Evolve Thrive. Happily, the NCRIB delegation would also have the benefit of interacting with a team of professionals from Aon and Lloyds Brokers who have consented to meet with the Nigerian delegation at a special session in London. As part of our efforts to encourage participants, the Management Committee met to grant a discount of £200 to the first ten registered delegates. I like to inform you that if you have a valid UK Visa, you can still be a part of the delegation.
In a similar vein, the 45th Conference and Annual General Assembly of the African Insurance Organisation will hold at Labadi Beach Hotel, Accra Ghana from Sunday 6th to Wednesday 8th May, 2018. You are all encouraged to attend.
DEMISE OF MR EZEKIEL CHEJINA:
It is with heavy heart that we moan the exit of one of our finest and brilliant insurance guru in Nigeria Insurance Industry, Mr. Ezekiel Chiejina. A prolific writer and an erstwhile Director General of Nigerian Insurance Association died on April 12, 2018. The death of Mr. Chiejina is a great loss to the entire industry, as the gap he left behind will take a very long time to fill. Permit me to note that Late Chiejina would be remembered as one of the insurance professionals who infused a great deal of integrity and professionalism into the nation’s insurance practice in Nigeria. Through his numerous books, he has helped in preservation of Insurance culture for the generation unborn. Even though he has gone, his works have remained with us. I like to urge every upcoming practitioner to emulate the goodly virtue which the deceased left on the sands of time. May the good Lord grant the departed soul repose.
CONCLUSION
I must not end my speech without reiterating my expression of thanks to our host-Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc. You have through this event demonstrated partnership with the Council and its membership and I have no reservation in announcing your company as a Broker-Friendly Underwriter that is worth of being patronized by our members. May the company grow from strength to strength.
Once again I thank you all for listen as I wish you a delightful Evening.
SPEECH DELIVERED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE NIGERIAN COUNCIL OF REGISTERED INSURANCE BROKERS, MR. SHOLA TINUBU, ACII, FCIB
