CIFM partners with international organisations to boost local insurance education

To deliver cutting edge educational services, the Centre For Insurance And Financial Management Studies has announced partnership with various international organisations in different classes of insurance. The Centre recognises that there is a dearth of human resources in the Nigerian insurance industry and it is determined to alleviate these challenges as much as possible, says Yeside Abiodun Oyetayo, rector, Centre for Insurance and Financial Management Studies.

Oyetayo who spoke at the Maiden graduation Ceremony of the College in Ogun State where 14 student graduated with Diploma Certificates in Insurance said “we are undertaking this challenge through our full-time Diploma in Insurance Programme and also the Certificate Courses in Risk Management, Pensions and Annuity and Islamic Finance and Takaful which are weekend only part-time and distance learning programmes.”
Furthermore, we conduct induction training for new recruits in the insurance industry twice a year i.e. March and July. This is a three-week intensive programme offered at our campus here. The Centre is also collaborating with universities in Nigeria offering degree courses in insurance on our Foundation Programme geared towards increasing the enrolment levels in insurance courses.

She stated that the CIFMS is an institution set to change the face of insurance in Nigeria through human capital development and innovative research. “We can only achieve these objectives with your support. We invite you to avail yourself of a copy of our 2016 training calendar and show your support for us by nominating candidates on our various training programmes.”

“The commencement of this programme was like a dream come true. We had sent invitations to various companies and even placed advertisement all to no avail. It seemed that the Diploma Programme was not going to take off. Our first student Olajumoke Saidi had paid her fees in full since September and we couldn’t proceed with the programme with only one student.

“Fortune however smiled on us in December when I pensionsgot three nominations from Sakiru Oyefeso, managing director of Staco Insurance plc from a chance meeting I had with him during the CIIN Christmas Carol of 2014. A couple of weeks later, Niger Insurance Plc sent in six nominations followed by Akin Ogunbiyi, the GMD of Mutual Benefit Assurance Plc who sponsored six. Subsequently we had four private students register one of whom was practically forced on the programme by the father. Eventually, nineteen students registered.

“The Diploma Programme run by the Centre was like no other they had been on before although all the students were graduates from reputable universities, they learnt that acquiring professional skills was not a mean feat.”