By Nkechi Eze
The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has reaffirmed its commitment to enhanced collaboration with the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) as the Council’s newly elected President, Mrs. Ekeoma Ezeibe, FCIB, paid her inaugural official visit to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, November 13, 2025. The engagement, described by officials as both symbolic and strategic, signalled renewed momentum for reforms aimed at strengthening professionalism, elevating market conduct and rebuilding public trust in Nigeria’s insurance ecosystem.
Commissioner for Insurance and Chief Executive Officer of NAICOM, Mr. Olusegun Ayo Omosehin, received the NCRIB delegation with high commendation for Mrs. Ezeibe, who becomes the 17th President of the Council and only the third woman to assume the prestigious role. He lauded her emergence as “a milestone for the profession,” noting that NAICOM regards insurance brokers as indispensable partners in the ongoing implementation of the National Insurance Industry Reform Agenda (NIIRA 2025).
Omosehin emphasized that brokers remain uniquely positioned to shape industry perception, drive responsible advisory services and reinforce the Commission’s renewed push for discipline, transparency and stronger consumer protection. According to him, the success of the industry’s transformation hinges significantly on the conduct and leadership of brokers who directly interface with policyholders.
In her remarks, NCRIB President, Mrs. Ekeoma Ezeibe, outlined an ambitious vision for repositioning the brokerage subsector. She pledged to promote a stronger compliance culture among brokers, address documentation quality gaps, enhance communication with regulators and clients, and improve the professional brand of insurance brokerage across the country. She stressed that some inherited compliance lapses were rooted not in deliberate negligence but administrative deficiencies issues she is determined to correct under her leadership.
Mrs. Ezeibe also reaffirmed her dedication to capacity-building initiatives, with deliberate focus on empowering women and young practitioners who will define the future of risk advisory and intermediation in Nigeria. She expressed optimism that stronger ties with NAICOM would accelerate industry-wide reforms, particularly in documentation standards, ethical practices and claims transparency.
Both parties used the engagement to discuss critical industry challenges and areas that require unified action. NAICOM officials underscored that brokers must consistently be viewed as trusted advisers, not transactional intermediaries, if the sector intends to reposition itself as credible, consumer-focused and globally competitive. They stressed that brokers are central to consumer education, compulsory insurance sensitisation and ensuring that NIIRA 2025 gains traction nationwide.
The meeting concluded with the adoption of concrete reform-driven action points. These include the establishment of a NAICOM–NCRIB Joint Working Group on market conduct and compliance; expanded training programmes on ethics, documentation, digital literacy and professionalism; a strengthened approach to public awareness campaigns; and periodic high-level engagements between both institutions to evaluate progress and anticipate emerging industry issues.
In a gesture of goodwill and mutual respect, NAICOM and NCRIB exchanged commemorative gifts before posing for a group photograph, an act symbolising a renewed alliance anchored on transparency, partnership and shared commitment to industry advancement.
As NIIRA 2025 continues to reshape regulatory expectations and consumer demands, the strengthened partnership between NAICOM and NCRIB stands as a testament to the sector’s resolve to deliver a more trustworthy, innovative and consumer-centric insurance marketplace for all Nigerians.
