Brokers call for adequate insurance for airlines

The Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) has called on relevant government agencies, including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), to make it mandatory that no airline operates in the country without adequate insurance.

This has become necessary in view of reoccurring crashes and the need to ensure that families and dependants of victims have something to fall back on, the Council said.

Ayodapo Shoderu, president, NCRIB, who made the remark during the Council’s August Members Evening held in Lagos, in reaction to the recent crash of a Bristow Helicopter, said this was of grave concern to us not only because we were humans, but also that we were into business of risk taking.

“We are using this medium to beckon on the leadership of Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), as a matter of urgency, to ensure that crashes of aircraft in Nigeria become a thing of the past. They should also ensure that no airline operator is allowed to operate without adequate insurance cover, Shoderu said.

Adequate insurance will guarantee, in case of any unfortunate incident, the bereaved families will have something to fall back on, Shoderu stated.

“On our part as Insurance Brokers, we have taken our awareness campaign to the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON). I like to report to you that we have had meeting with the representative of the association and a further meeting is to be rescheduled for a later date, not only with AON, but also other professional bodies in the aviation industry, to ensure that the mechanism of risk taking provided by law is strictly adhered, to avoid double tragedy for the families of victims,” he said.

He however used the medium to call on government to also throw its federal might behind the entrenchment of insurance policies, not only in aviation sector, but all other sectors.

There are almost six compulsory insurance policies that have been highlighted by the law, he said, stating that government support and backing were needed to enforce them.