NIA DG: Who wears Thomas ‘big’ shoes

Sunday Olorunda Thomas, erstwhile director general of the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) was last week appointed the deputy commissioner for Insurance (Technical) at the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM).

His appointment leaves a big vacancy for the position of the director general at the Saka Tinubu Secretariat of the industry trade group, the NIA.

Thomas who served for seven years, beginning from 2010 to Thursday last week April 13, at the NIA was very remarkable, as his personality did not only elevate the status of the Association, but the industry as a whole.

He had vast experience spanning over three decades both as an operator and also as a regulator, having retired in NAICOM before joining NIA was equal to standing in for the industry at any level anywhere in this country, and beyond.

Prior to joining NIA, Thomas worked as a Director in charge of the Inspectorate Directorate at the National Insurance Commission from 1992 until December 2009 when he retired.

If there was gap in the office of the chairman of the Association, which happened during a period(s), Thomas’ presence covered the gap and it was as if it never happened.

Thomas in his capacity as then DG, did not need to get briefing from the chairman to represent the Association anywhere, not because he was not submissive to his employer but because he had full grasps of the industry and surrounding politics around the industry.

Thomas hardly stood for the industry, arguing out issues with stakeholders in other industries, defending role of insurance in pension management without going unnoticed for outstanding brilliancy.

For those who knew Thomas, he was never proud and saw all insurance CEO’s irrespective of their age as his employers.

Whoever will become the new DG of NIA would have a big shoe to wear. The person must be intellectually sound, with commanding personality, a good communicator, friendly, humble and respectful.

The replacement must understand pensions like insurance because that is critical in standing in for the industry when the need arise.

Thomas had a very good relationship with the media, and did not find any reason to bother about image management for the Association, throughout his stay at the NIA, even when the chips were down.

Thomas worked as a Director in charge of the Inspectorate Directorate at the National Insurance Commission from 1992 until December 2009 when he retired. Before his engagement at the Commission he had worked in the Insurance industry for over 10 years where he rose to the position of Assistant General Manager at AIICO Insurance Plc and left in 1992.

During his working years at the Commission, he headed various departments including Technical Life, Research and Market Development and Inspectorate.

Thomas is an Insurance Professional with a BSc (Hons) in Actuarial Science and also an MBA Finance all from the University of Lagos.

He is an active participant in the Insurance Industry activities and has been involved in many of the Insurance Industry and the Financial Sector Committees some of which are as follows: Member, Committee on the Review of the 1997 Insurance Act; Member , Education Committee of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria; Chairman, National Planning Committee of the Annual Seminar on the Development of the Nigerian Financial Markets : 2002 – Date;  Chairman, National Planning Committee of the Annual Seminar on Economic and Financial Crime : 2002 – 2005; Member, governing board of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission    2003 – 2004 and Member, Inter Agency Executive Committee on the Delisting of Nigeria from the FATF list of Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories.

He has attended many courses and conferences both locally and internationally some of which include those organized by the Lagos Business School, The AIO, World bank, International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS), UNCTAD and the Leadership Centre in Toronto, Canada. He is a resource person and also a visiting Lecturer at the West Africa Insurance Institute (WAII), The Gambia.   

 Modestus  Anaesoronye