Another opportunity to rethink professionalism…
Insurance professionals across the country under the umbrella body of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) precisely a year ago met in Ibadan to look at professionalism and how it can impact on the business of insurance for the overall benefit of the industry.
Today again, the same industry is meeting at the same Ibadan for its 2013 professional’s forum with them “The Insurance Industry in Motion: Emerging Issues for the Professionals”
The question now is, how far did resolutions of the previous year impact on the business and activities of players in the industry? Are these meetings just mere jamboree that would still repeat its self today and the next two days that the forum will last?
Fola Daniel, commissioner for Insurance it will be recalled said at the same event the previous year that developments in the global economy suggest that players must position themselves adequately to face the challenges and be able to contribute to their respective organization.
“We must at all times measure the relevance of our professionalism by identifying the gaps between customers’ expectation of the services to be rendered and their perception of the actual performance of the services”
On the Conference Theme “Beyond Professionalism – Making a difference” Daniel stated that although the drive for professionalism has led to a noticeable increase in the number of insurance professionals in the country, but the question still remains “how many of these professionals are prepared to go extra mile to make a difference without cutting corners?”
The Commissioner therefore called on insurance professionals to look beyond the nomenclature of professionalism and think outside the box in line with the dynamism and changes experienced in the insurance world.
He assured that the National Insurance Commission(NAICOM) whilst facing its primary responsibility of regulating the market will continue to align with the quest to produce professionals with the capacity to rise up to the challenges of customers satisfaction.
Wole Adetimehin, president CIIN then said as professionals, we ought to be adequately equipped in order to exhibit competence which are over and beyond the possession of mere professional qualifications.
‘We must continually equip ourselves in order to effectively play our roles as risk managers and as change agents through the positive transformation of the organizations entrusted to us”.
According to Adetimehin, it is the responsibility as insurance professionals to make insurance grow bigger in public perception through our positive roles and flawless performance.
The President then noted that in recent times there are more compelling reasons why the nation’s citizenry and government should take insurance seriously, adding that Nigerians are under daily threat from perils emanating from natural disasters such as flooding, rainstorms as well as security risks which have affected the people negatively.
Though majority of the citizenry are burdened with huge costs of procuring basic and fundamental needs such as electricity, water and security, the insurance industry should concentrate a lot of effort to develop huge potentials trapped in micro insurance, Adetimehin stated a year ago in Ibadan.
By: Modestus Anaesoronye