Lady Chukwuma
PROTOCOLS
It is indeed a great delight and a unique opportunity to once again be in the Rock City, Abeokuta for this year’s Professionals’ Forum. It is always very heart-warming to be in the midst of professional colleagues in a gathering which is renowned for its significance as the single most effective platform for deliberating on and contributing to the issues pertinent to the sustenance of the ideals of our professional calling, our Industry and its proper positioning in the financial services sector of the National Economy.
Let me therefore on behalf of the Governing Council of our great Institute welcome all delegates and guests to the 24th edition of the Insurance Professionals’ Forum in the firm belief that it will be a rewarding experience for us as individuals and as Insurance Professionals.
This year’s forum will focus on the dynamism of the Nigerian Business Environment with the theme: “The Nigerian Business Environment: Implications for the Insurance Industry”. The topics will be addressed by experienced Guest Speakers who will bring their informed perspectives and opinions to bear.
It is expected that at the end of the day, the speakers would help us identify prospects amidst some challenges. The survival of the industry is non-negotiable, so also is our success as professionals and managers of business.
Let me on behalf of the Governing Council thank the distinguished Speakers for accepting to contribute to the actualization of this year’s Forum and for their invaluable time.
May I also seize this opportunity to once again congratulate Alhaji Mohammed Kari on his recent appointment as the Commissioner for Insurance. It is our firm belief that the Insurance Industry in Nigeria will soar to greater heights during your tenure. We are particularly grateful to the Commissioner for accepting to deliver the keynote address which has also become the much awaited and cherished authoritative statement on the state of the Insurance Industry.
Distinguished professional colleagues, it is our collective drive to reposition the Insurance Industry and to reinforce the integrity of the profession. This can only be achieved by our individual and collective commitments to the ideals of Ethical and Professional Best Practices. In this regard, the CIIN will during this forum in a short presentation relaunch the Code of Ethics for Insurance Professionals. This is aimed at Maintaining and developing our professional competence and setting out the values that describe our obligations as professionals to the Insuring public.
There will also be a short presentation on the disciplinary procedures as contained in the Institute’s Enabling Law. This is to awaken our members, and encourage them to report cases of professional misconduct to the Institute. We must all play our roles to put an end to professional misconduct amongst members. This is the new direction for us as it is with all other professions.
Professional Colleagues, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, your active participation in all the sessions of this Forum remains the only way to guarantee that the efforts of the organizing committee in putting together a well packaged platform for knowledge sharing, are not in vain. In convening this year’s Forum, the Organizing Committee chaired by Mr. AdeyemoAdejumo, our respected past President ensured that they got in touch with Insurance Professionals’ outside mainstream Insurance practice. It is therefore my expectation that we should have in our midst, colleagues from the Oil and Gas Industry, Telecommunications, Manufacturing, and the public service. All of these voices and opinions joined with our Industry perspective will produce results which far exceed the ordinary.
I have reserved this final part of my speech to state that, we are charting a new course aimed at consolidating the recent gains of the Insurance Industry for national economic growth. It is pertinent to reiterate that this agenda is what I have set for my tenure as the 47th President of the Institute. It will be driven by means of an articulated action-plan geared at reinforcing the identified projects and ensuring their logical conclusion. This approach will also engender a Rolling Plan for the growth and development of our Institute.
In pursuit of this theme, “Consolidating the Gains of the Industry for National Economic Growth”, we have identified the following and have commenced their implementation. These are:
Promotion of the ideals of the Insurance Industry Consultative Council (IICC)
Reinforcing the huge potentials of the Centre for Insurance and Financial Management Studies.
Situating the CIIN on the global stage:
Promoting Insurance Awareness by increasing the visibility of Insurance in national consciousness
Follow-up on the recognition of the CIIN Certificate by the Head of Service of the Federation.
Further work on achieving wider coverage in the presentation and distribution of the Institute’s sponsored Insurance Textbook for Senior Secondary Schools.
Renewed Pursuit of Training for Insurance Teachers on a National scale.
Completion of the Institute’s Examinations Syllabus Review
Commencement of work on the Institute’s Victoria Island Property
Pursuit of the expansion of the Institute’s examinations to countries in West, East and Central Africa sub-regions i.e. Ghana, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Kenya, Uganda, Zimbabwe etc.
Promotion of CIIN members’ benefits.
As I take my seat, I wish to welcome you once again to the 2015 Insurance Professionals’ Forum and wish you a rewarding experience.
Thank you for your attention
LADY ISIOMA CHUKWUMA, ACII, AIIN
President/Chairman of Council
CHARTERED INSURANCE INSTITUTE OF NIGERIA
