Insurance Agents Urge Insurers To Provide Adequate Training For Their Marketers

Posted by African Examiner Business News, Insurance, Latest Headlines Wednesday, November 6th, 2013

Kayode Adelowokan, Lagos

Association of Registered Insurance Agents of Nigeria (ARIAN) has appealed to insurance companies to give adequate and continuous training to their marketers so as to improve the level of insurance business, in the country.

L-R: Secretary General, Association of Registered Insurance Agents of Nigeria (ARIAN), Mr. Olamerun Gbadebo; national president, Mr. Kingsley Obuvie, and national vice president, Ms Chijindu Ikeji during a press briefing Wednesday in preparation for its annual conference.

ARIAN national president, Mr. Kingsley Obuvie, who disclosed this today at a press briefing in Lagos, added that continuous training is key to improving the industry. If the industry wants to achieve a more professionalized insurance market, he advised the stakeholders to imbibe the culture of training and re-training of their agents.

The association, he said, is making efforts to convince companies to use licensed insurance agents so as to give more credibility to insurance business in the country.

According to him, “Those companies that were making use of licensed insurance agents in Nigeria are doing well and I believe they will continue to sustain the trend. Presently, we have few underwriters who have agency network in their chain of distribution of products. Though there are a lot of companies who do not imbibe the agency business, we have been talking to about 57 underwriters to make use of agency to do their retail business. With this, I believe the industry will do better. Going forward, we are calling on insurance companies to have insurance agency network as a very core area for their product distribution.”

While stating that the association is working with insurers to ensure that insurance services go to nooks and crannies of the country, he added that insurance operators must train their agents properly, so that, they understand the rudiments of what they are selling.

Meanwhile, the association’s annual conference comes up on the 14th of November, 2013, with the theme: “Growth of agency in Nigeria”, at the multipurpose hall of University of Lagos. The event which is the fourth time, since Obuvie assumed office four years ago, is expected to be a gathering of insurance agents, as well as underwriters.

Taking into consideration, the low level of insurance consumption of Nigerians, the president disclosed that participants at the event will map out proper ways of selling insurance products and services to the people, in order to enhance insurance penetration.

The conference will also witness election into the office, new executive members who will man the leadership of the association, for the next two years. Moreover, a life time achievement award will be given to one of the founding father of insurance industry, Ogbeni Bode Ogunlana. Award will also be given to best underwriting company and the best insurance agent.