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NAICOM Warns Insurers: More Capital Won’t Guarantee Financial Stability

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The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has warned that Nigeria’s insurance industry may struggle to achieve lasting financial stability if operators fail to strengthen corporate governance, risk management and accountability, despite ongoing recapitalisation efforts.

The commission stressed that raising additional capital alone would not guarantee the resilience of insurance companies, noting that their ability to protect, manage and effectively deploy the funds would determine their long-term sustainability.

The Commissioner for Insurance and Chief Executive of NAICOM, Olusegun Omosehin, gave the warning at the eighth Annual Insurance Directors’ Conference, organised by the College of Insurance and Financial Management in collaboration with NAICOM in Lagos on Thursday.

The conference was themed, ‘Recapitalisation to Resilience: Leading the Risk-Based Capital Era’.

Omosehin said recapitalisation was only the first step towards building financially stronger insurance institutions, urging operators to move beyond meeting minimum regulatory capital requirements to developing businesses capable of withstanding economic shocks, technological disruptions and emerging risks.

He explained that the Minimum Capital Requirement represents the minimum funds an insurance company must maintain to operate its licensed business, while Risk-Based Capital takes into account the nature, size and complexity of the risks carried by individual institutions.

According to him, an insurance company could satisfy its prescribed minimum capital requirement but still lack sufficient capital to support its actual risk exposure.

He said NAICOM would consequently intensify its focus on the quality of capital, corporate governance structures, risk management systems, financial reporting and insurers’ capacity to meet claims obligations.

The commissioner warned that successful recapitalisation would not exempt insurance operators from continuous regulatory scrutiny, emphasising the need for accurate financial records and timely submission of reliable information to the commission.

He also identified poor underwriting decisions, excessive operating expenses, inappropriate investments and uncontrolled business expansion as factors capable of eroding insurers’ capital.

Speaking at the conference, the President of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria, Akinjide Orimilade, said the new regulatory environment would place greater responsibility on directors, chief executives and other key management personnel.

Orimilade maintained that insurance companies must move beyond simply satisfying statutory requirements, warning that directors could be held accountable where poor oversight and failure to exercise reasonable care exposed their institutions to significant risks.

He identified directors’ qualifications, professional experience, character, board independence, effectiveness of board committees and related-party transactions as critical areas requiring attention under the new regulatory framework.

He also stressed the importance of regular board assessments and compliance with NAICOM’s fit-and-proper requirements, cautioning that membership of an insurance company’s board should not be treated as an honorary position.

According to him, the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act, signed into law on July 31, 2025, represents a major overhaul of the country’s insurance legislation and provides the foundation for the sector’s transition.

Orimilade disclosed that approximately 50 insurance operators had met the new recapitalisation thresholds, with NAICOM reporting statutory capital of about N715bn.

Meanwhile, the Special Adviser to the President on Economic Affairs, Tope Fasua, said the insurance industry must prioritise public confidence, improve insurance penetration and strengthen operational efficiency as it enters the post-recapitalisation era.

He noted that changing customer expectations, technological innovation, emerging risks and evolving regulatory requirements required insurance companies to rethink their business models and improve their institutional capacity.

Fasua urged industry leaders to use the conference to develop practical strategies for strengthening governance, expanding insurance coverage and positioning Nigerian insurance operators for long-term sustainability.

Similarly, the Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, represented by his Special Adviser on Public Finance, Greg Ezeilo, described a resilient insurance industry as essential to Nigeria’s economic development.

He said the sector played an important role in mobilising long-term capital, protecting businesses and households, and supporting productive investments.

According to him, insurance companies could make greater contributions to infrastructure financing, agriculture, manufacturing and trade if they developed the financial and institutional capacity to underwrite emerging risks.

Oyedele identified stronger corporate governance, wider insurance access, technology adoption, improved risk management and investment in human capital as key priorities for the sector.

He also called for the development of affordable and accessible insurance products for households, small businesses, farmers and underserved communities.

The minister stressed that insurance should become an everyday financial protection mechanism accessible to a wider segment of the population rather than a privilege enjoyed by a limited group.

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Apapa Customs Generates N302bn Revenue in October, Records 7.13% Growth

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The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Apapa Area Command, has generated N302bn in revenue in October 2026, representing an increase of N20bn compared with the N282bn collected in September.

The command’s Public Relations Officer, Isah Sulaiman, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, noting that the October collection represented a month-on-month growth of approximately 7.13 per cent.

“The Apapa Area Command generated N302bn in October 2026, representing an increase of N20bn over the N282bn recorded in September 2026. This represents a month-on-month growth of approximately 7.13 per cent,” Sulaiman said.

He described the performance as another significant revenue achievement, noting that the command had surpassed the N300bn threshold following its record-breaking collection of over N323bn in July 2026.

He said the consignments were jointly examined with relevant sister agencies, demonstrating the command’s commitment to preventing the use of Nigeria’s maritime gateway for illicit trade and safeguarding public health and national security.

The Customs Area Controller reiterated that the command would continue to strengthen revenue generation, intensify enforcement operations and build stronger partnerships with stakeholders to improve port efficiency.

He maintained that the command would sustain a balanced approach that protects government revenue and national security while creating an enabling environment for legitimate trade and economic growth.

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Reps Invite CBN Governor Cardoso Over Unpaid Pension Arrears

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The House of Representatives has resolved to invite the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Olayemi Cardoso, to explain alleged breaches of pension agreements and the non-payment of outstanding benefits to retired employees of the apex bank.

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion on Tuesday titled, “Need to investigate the Central Bank of Nigeria for alleged breach of approved pension agreements, non-implementation of harmonisation policy and exclusion of pensioners from general pension increases.”

The motion was moved by the member representing Igabi Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, Hussaini Jallo, who raised concerns over the alleged failure of the CBN to honour agreements governing the pension entitlements and welfare of its retired employees.

Presenting the motion, Jallo said the alleged non-implementation and faulty execution of the pension harmonisation policy might have created disparities in pension payments and led to the accumulation of unpaid arrears, leaving affected retirees in financial hardship.

He expressed concern that pensioners who depend on their retirement benefits for their livelihood were being denied entitlements allegedly due to them.

“The House is concerned that the alleged non-implementation and faulty execution of the harmonisation policy may have led to disparities in pension benefits and the accumulation of unpaid arrears, ultimately denying rightful entitlements and imposing severe financial hardship on affected pensioners who depend on these funds for their livelihood,” he said.

The lawmaker also questioned allegations that some retired CBN employees had been excluded from general pension increases because of additional or extra-statutory demands that might not align with existing laws, binding agreements or approved pension policies.

Jallo further disclosed that the number of CBN pensioners had dropped from 5,104 in 2011 to approximately 3,000, representing a decline of more than 2,100 retirees.

He said the figures indicated an average reduction of about 140 pensioners annually, warning that the mortality rate could increase as the surviving retirees continued to advance in age.

According to him, prolonged delays in the payment of pension benefits could expose elderly and vulnerable pensioners to poverty, ill health and avoidable loss of life.

He maintained that Nigerians who had served the country deserved fairness, transparency and the prompt payment of all benefits lawfully due to them.

“The House acknowledges the need for legislative oversight to establish the facts, determine the extent of any breaches or administrative failures, and ensure that all eligible pensioners receive their lawful entitlements,” Jallo said.

The motion received overwhelming support from lawmakers during a voice vote conducted at plenary presided over by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas.

Following its adoption, the House urged the CBN and other relevant authorities to verify and pay all outstanding pension arrears lawfully due to affected retirees within a reasonable and clearly defined period.

It also called for the extension of applicable general pension increases to eligible pensioners in accordance with relevant laws.

The lawmakers subsequently invited Cardoso and other relevant officials, alongside pension administrators, regulators and representatives of the affected pensioners, to appear before the House and provide explanations.

They are also expected to submit relevant documents to assist the investigation.

The House mandated its Committee on Pension to investigate allegations of non-compliance by the CBN with contractual agreements governing the administration and payment of retirement benefits to its former employees.

The committee is expected to examine the terms and obligations contained in the agreements, particularly the circumstances surrounding the non-implementation of the harmonisation policy, the reasons for the delay and the total amount of outstanding arrears.

It will also investigate the alleged exclusion of eligible pensioners from general pension increases on the basis of extra-statutory demands and determine whether such actions comply with applicable laws, contractual obligations and approved pension policies.

As part of its assignment, the committee will review relevant documents, including contractual agreements, policy circulars, payment records and actuarial reports, to establish responsibility for any administrative failures or breaches.

It is also expected to recommend appropriate corrective measures, including the non-discriminatory extension of applicable general pension increases to all eligible retirees in line with relevant laws and approved policies.

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EFCC Recovers N114m From Cyber Fraud Suspect, Returns Money to Microfinance Bank

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The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has recovered and returned N114 million stolen from a microfinance bank through a cyber fraud scheme.

The commission disclosed this in a post on its official X handle on Friday, stating that the recovered funds were handed over to the financial institution on Thursday.

According to the EFCC, the Acting Zonal Director of its Benin Zonal Directorate, Deputy Commander Sa’ad Hanafi Sa’ad, presented a bank draft worth N114 million to a senior official of the bank, Samuel Ikechukwu.

The recovery followed a petition filed by Ikechukwu in August 2024, after the financial institution discovered that one of its customers’ accounts had been fraudulently hacked and funds withdrawn without authorisation.

The recovery followed a petition filed by Ikechukwu in August 2024, after the financial institution discovered that one of its customers’ accounts had been fraudulently hacked and funds withdrawn without authorisation.

The commission said its investigators traced the stolen money to several suspects, leading to the arrest of one of them, identified as Obumneme Bright.

It added that N114 million was recovered from Bright following his arrest and subsequently returned to the affected financial institution.

The EFCC, however, disclosed that efforts were ongoing to track down and apprehend other suspects allegedly connected to the cyber fraud.

The recovery highlights the commission’s ongoing efforts to investigate financial crimes, recover illicit funds and return stolen assets to their rightful owners.

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