ARIAN registers 2,110 insurance agents in one year

The Association of Registered Insurance Agents of Nigeria (ARIAN) has been able to register 2,110 members from all insurance companies this year, ARIAN president, Gbadebo Olamerun, has said.

The ARIAN president made this known during the fifth ARIAN Annual National Conference, and award ceremony with theme “Micro-Insurance in Nigeria, the Role of an Agent as the Primeval Distribution Channel” held in Lagos.

The association has been able to expatiate and redefine the role of insurance agents in the country, adding value, dignity and respect to the insurance industry and the country as a whole, Olamerun said.

In the last one year, ARIAN has experience a geometric increase in membership due to its strategic alliance with the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) to ensure all our insurance agents are NAICOM licensed.

The total number of registered members is currently 4,910, he said, noting that the vision of the association is to register at least 20,000 agents before the end of 2015.

There are efforts to increase agent’s professionalism and sense of belonging as insurance personnel have yielded positive returns, he said, saying “we have been able to create a comprehensive database of all members so as to ensure a free flow of information at all times. The database include full names, membership identity number, company represented, contact phone numbers, among others. In driving the expansion of the association, we were able to inaugurate a new chapter in Edo State and for the first time in the history of ARIAN, a lady emerged as the chairperson of the association, basically to support female equality gender in leadership.

“In Ibadan chapter, election was held and a new chairperson emerged growing the number of ARIAN chapters in the country to six chapters. Although we intend to vigorously expand and create at least five new chapters in 2015.”

He further disclosed that during the course of the year, guidelines on general business commission were implemented by NAICOM and it affected all insurance agents because we started receiving half of the commission paid to brokers on general business insurance.

“In line with this, ARIAN executives held meetings with the Commissioner for Insurance, Fola Daniel, and as stated in the Insurance Act 2003, an ad-hoc committee will be set up and the guidelines reviewed. This is because the scope of operation of brokers and agents are different; hence the amount received as commission also differs. Letters were sent to all insurance companies to revert to status quo, some have complied while some are yet to and we are working on those companies who are yet to comply with the directives.”