By LOVETH-AZODO CHIJIOKE
Outgoing President and Chairman of Council of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN), Mrs. Yetunde Ilori, has charged the institute’s incoming leadership to sustain the reforms and collaborative culture that have repositioned the institute over the last two years, insisting that continuity is critical to advancing insurance education and deepening public confidence in the profession.
Speaking at her valedictory media briefing in Lagos ahead of the investiture of the institute’s 53rd President, Mr. Akinjide Orimolade, Ilori said no administration could succeed in isolation, stressing that every council must build on the achievements of its predecessors.
“Nobody can achieve anything alone. The collaboration must continue. I built on the foundation laid by my predecessors, and I expect my successor to build on what we have achieved. I am not a success until he has succeeded and until the Council continues to succeed,” she said.
Ilori explained that her administration was driven by the EPIC Agenda—Education, Professionalism, Institutional Recognition and Capacity Building—which she said provided a roadmap for strengthening the institute and positioning insurance as an essential pillar of Nigeria’s economic and financial resilience.
She said one of the administration’s major accomplishments was taking insurance education beyond industry circles to young Nigerians through the annual Insurance Week, youth engagement programmes and strategic partnerships with educational institutions.
The outgoing CIIN president said the institute also sought to change public perception of insurance by introducing the “Insurance for Beginners” initiative for primary school pupils.
Responding to a question on efforts to demystify insurance for children, Ilori said the institute produced specially designed insurance textbooks to introduce pupils to basic insurance concepts from an early age.
According to her, 2,000 copies of the books have already been produced and distributed to schools across the country, while another 3,000 copies are currently being produced to expand the programme.
She added that members of the institute personally participated in the distribution exercise.
“We took insurance to primary schools because we wanted to demystify insurance. We created books for them titled Insurance for Beginners. I even went to my alma mater to distribute the books myself because we believe insurance education should start from childhood,” she said.
Ilori also disclosed that the institute had sustained its annual insurance quiz competition for tertiary institutions, noting that the latest edition held in May was won by the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH).
She said the institute had equally continued to support similar educational initiatives in other institutions as part of efforts to nurture future insurance professionals.
On youth empowerment, Ilori said the ongoing initiative to train one million Nigerian youths in insurance would outlive her administration, describing it as a strategic contribution to the Federal Government’s aspiration of building a $1 trillion economy.
“We have not finished the one million youth training we started, and it is not going to be abandoned,” she said.
She noted that the institute also strengthened collaborations with several organisations and government institutions, including efforts aimed at introducing insurance education into the nation’s academic curriculum and public examinations.
Beyond educational reforms, Ilori said the institute made significant progress in the digital transformation of its operations and examinations.
According to her, plans are underway to fully migrate the institute’s professional examinations to a computer-based platform across West Africa, a move she said would eliminate the need for candidates to travel long distances to examination centres.
“We want to make our examinations computer-based so that people will no longer have to travel far to write them. It is a project I was unable to complete, but I believe it will continue. We also want our learning processes to become fully digital,” she said.
She maintained that despite the progress recorded under her administration, the institute had only begun the journey of transforming insurance education and professional development in Nigeria.
“I want to assure you that it will not end with my tenure. We haven’t scratched the surface,” she said.
Ilori added that the institute had institutionalised knowledge-sharing sessions during every Council meeting, inviting accomplished professionals to share their experiences, while former presidents continued to provide guidance and mentorship to successive administrations.
Reflecting on her stewardship, she said serving the institute had been personally fulfilling and reaffirmed her commitment to supporting the insurance profession beyond her tenure.
“I came to CIIN after leaving the Nigerian Insurers Association to compete with myself. I have many assignments on my hands, but I will continue to contribute to the industry. I am a pastor, which I consider my primary assignment, but this is one industry where you remain relevant if you choose to remain relevant. You will definitely still see me here and there,” she said.
She thanked members of the media for supporting the institute throughout her tenure and urged them to extend the same cooperation to the incoming administration.
Orimolade will be invested as the 53rd President and Chairman of Council of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria on Friday.
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