Economy
Nigeria Records 36.3% Rise in Insurance Premium in Q4 2022
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) has said that Nigeria’s insurance industry recorded a 36.3 per cent quarter-on-quarter growth and 17.8 per cent year-on-year improvement in gross premium income at N726.2 billion in the fourth quarter of 2022.
According to a bulletin released by the country’s insurance sector regulator, this was a remarkable situation compared to the real growth (3.5 per cent) of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over the same period.
This development was attributed to the consistent regulatory measures being carried out by the commission.
It also said the non-life business, as in the prior periods, continued its dominance, contributing about 57.4 per cent relative to the share of the life business at 42.6 per cent, keeping about the same position in the prior period.
“The proportional significance of life in the industry was sustained a positive course in recent times reflective of the consumer’s confidence and awareness,” it said.
An in-depth analysis of the non-life segment of the market shows the oil & gas business sustaining its market share dominance at 30.25 per cent, increasing by two points (2.4 per cent) compared to the previous quarter.
The figure posted by fire insurance came a distant second at 22.2 per cent, maintaining the same pattern of contribution to the gross premium pool of the market, while motor insurance at 14.9 per cent, marine & aviation at 12.2 per cent, general accident at 11.1 per cent, and miscellaneous at 9.5 per cent followed in that order.
On the other hand, life business was driven by individual life portfolio (38.6 per cent) even as its relative contribution fell by about (2.6 per cent) compared to the third quarter (41.6 per cent).
The bulletin added, “In a contrasting path to the previous quarter, group life followed by about 34.5 per cent while annuity business contributed gross premium income of about 26.9 per cent during the period.
“In the phase of operational challenges posed in domestic and global economies, the industry continues to post inspiring numbers in business retention, reflective of the market resilience and increasing capacity. In the period under review, the industry-wide average retention ratio stood at about 71.3 per cent, although slightly a point lower than it held in the previous quarter and four points lower in comparison to the same period (YoY).
“Persistently, the life business retained about the same point of 93.3 per cent from its prior position of 93.8 per cent in quarter three.
“In the non-life segment, which also took a similar pattern, motor insurance continued its lead as the highest retaining portfolio with a retention ratio of about 93.5 per cent, a point higher than its standing in the prior quarter.
Oil & Gas recorded the least at about 35.9 per cent. The oil and gas portfolio remained a challenging angle in the market owing to its nature of enormous capital and professional requirements.
“Consequently, the retention performance in the current period sustained its prior position when compared to the third quarter as evidenced by the overall non-life business ratio of 55.0 per cent, slipping from about 56.6 per cent held in the prior period.”
“Claims reported during the fourth quarter stood at N318.2 billion, representing a 31.2 per cent QoQ growth. Possible attainment as a result of growing awareness and Market expansion as well as consumer confidence. In a similar pattern, the net claims paid were reported at N244.3 billion, growing at about 17.9 per cent QoQ during the same period.
“Insights into the non-life segment shows that motor insurance led with regards to claims settlement vis a vis gross claims reported at about 92.3 per cent signifying a nine points improvement as against its prior position.
“Fire insurance was the least at about 46.3 per cent, the only class below average proportion. All other portfolios of general accident insurance (80.7 per cent), oil & gas (51.6 per cent), marine & aviation (74.4 per cent), and miscellaneous insurances (86.1 per cent) recorded a proportion above the average of paid claims against gross claims reported.
“Life insurance business, on the other hand, reported two points less in comparison to the position held in the prior period of 94.6 per cent of net claims paid compared to total claims reported during the same period of 2021,” the bulletin added.
By Dipo Olowookere
The first trading session of the week on the floor of the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Limited ended in the green territory on Monday, with a 1.20 per cent rise.
This was buoyed by the gains recorded by Airtel Africa and other equities, according to analysis of data harvested from the Customs Street yesterday.
During the trading day, the consumer goods index grew by 0.76 per cent, enough to offset the losses recorded by the other sectors.
The insurance counter shrank by 1.64 per cent, the banking space lost 0.24 per cent, the energy sector contracted by 0.09 per cent, and the industrial goods segment retreated by 0.05 per cent.
When trading activities ended for the day, the All-Share Index (ASI) was up by 2,956.15 points to 248,529.75 points from 245,573.60 points, and the market capitalisation gained N1.909 trillion to finish at N160.422 trillion compared with the previous session’s N158.513 trillion.
Fortis Global Insurance expanded by 10.00 per cent to N2.86, Chams surged by 9.80 per cent to N4.48, NAHCO jumped by 9.29 per cent to N153.00, Airtel Africa soared by 8.59 per cent to N6,300.00, and Sovereign Trust Insurance rose by 6.59 per cent to N1.78.
Conversely, AVA Capital shed 10.00 per cent to N9.90, Ecobank decreased by 9.92 per cent to N64.95, Caverton crashed by 9.09 per cent to N5.00, Ikeja Hotel slipped by 8.41 per cent to N43.00, and FTN Cocoa dropped 8.37 per cent to trade at N8.10.
A total of 23 equities were on the gainers’ chart yesterday, while 37 equities ended on the losers’ table, indicating a negative market breadth index and weak investor sentiment.
As for the activity log, the trading volume remained elevated, though lower than the preceding session, as it receded by 26.67 per cent to 1.1 billion units from 1.5 billion units. The trading value, however, increased by 1.12 per cent to N27.0 billion from N26.7 billion, while the number of deals advanced by 39.00 per cent to 59,185 deals from 42,580 deals.
Consolidated Hallmark was the most active stock yesterday, with a turnover of 354.1 million units valued at N1.5 billion, Fortis Global Insurance traded 307.3 million units worth N818.3 million, Access Holdings exchanged 48.1 million units for N1.4 billion, Chams transacted 37.4 million units worth N163.3 million, and First Holdco sold 35.8 million units valued at N5.1 billion.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Oil prices traded 5 per cent higher on Monday after Iran and the United States argued about demands for compensation, further stalling a possible deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Brent crude futures chalked up $4.17 or 4.99 per cent to sell at $87.72 a barrel, while the US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures surged $3.95 or 5.05 per cent to $82.13 per barrel.
Iran said the US must lift sanctions on it and meet other conditions for reopening the vital waterway, which carried a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas before the start of the Middle East conflict in late February.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said Iran must pay compensation for “all of the people that they have killed and gravely wounded.”
This comes as the Middle East country said it was nearing a final pact with Oman to define new shipping lanes through the strait but repeated that the US must meet other conditions, including compensation and an end to sanctions and military threats before the strategic waterway is reopened.
In a further threat to supply, the Iran-aligned Houthis said they had struck Saudi Aramco’s Jazan refinery on Sunday. Saudi Aramco has postponed the restart of the 400,000-barrel-per-day refinery to August 30 after two Houthi attacks in recent weeks.
ADNOC, a state-owned oil company in the United Arab Emirates, said on Friday that 15 of its vessels had been attacked while transiting the Strait of Hormuz since the beginning of the conflict.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military continued to attack Russia’s energy infrastructure, hitting the Taneco oil refinery in Tatarstan and the ZapSibNeftekhim petrochemical plant in Russia’s Tyumen region.
On the US supply side, stocks of crude oil in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) fell by about 6.1 million barrels to 298.7 million barrels last week, the lowest level since January 1983.
Bank of America (BoFA) warned that oil prices could continue climbing into the winter if the US and Iran fail to reach an agreement reopening the Strait of Hormuz, with severe shortages already emerging in diesel, petrol, and global natural gas markets.
Mr Francisco Blanch, Bank of America’s head of commodities and derivatives research, told CNBC on Monday that only around 5 to 10 ships per day are currently passing through Hormuz, compared with roughly 140 before the war. With some crude now being rerouted through Saudi Arabia and the UAE, traffic would need to recover to around 80 to 100 ships per day just to stabilise energy markets.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions has called for stronger collaboration among financial sector regulators and other stakeholders to strengthen Nigeria’s financial system and support sustainable economic growth.
The committee made the call during an expanded stakeholders’ engagement in Lagos, attended by the leadership of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) and Nigeria Export-Import Bank (NEXIM), among other industry stakeholders and financial experts.
Chairman of the committee, Mr Adetokunbo Abiru (Lagos East), who was represented by Mr Osita Izunaso (Imo West), said stronger legislative reforms and regulatory collaboration were necessary to reposition Nigeria’s financial architecture for long-term economic prosperity.
Mr Abiru said the financial sector remained critical to investment, job creation, business expansion and macroeconomic stability, stressing that its ability to mobilise savings, channel credit to productive sectors, facilitate investment and manage risks was fundamental to sustainable economic growth.
He said the current economic realities required closer collaboration between the legislature and financial regulators, noting that challenges confronting the sector were interconnected and could not be effectively addressed through isolated interventions.
The lawmaker identified inflationary pressures, global economic uncertainties, cybersecurity threats, low insurance penetration and the need to diversify Nigeria’s export base as some of the challenges requiring coordinated policy responses.
He said the engagement was aimed at generating practical solutions to strengthen the country’s financial architecture and support sustainable economic growth.
According to him, monetary policy, financial safety nets, banking institutions, the insurance industry and export finance were interdependent components of a stable financial system and must therefore be strengthened collectively.
The Commissioner for Insurance and Chief Executive Officer of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Mr Olusegun Ayo Omosehin, said the Nigeria Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA) 2025 had contributed significantly to stabilising and repositioning the insurance sector.
Mr Omosehin disclosed that 43 insurance companies had successfully recapitalised, describing the development as a major milestone for the industry.
He commended Abiru and members of the committee for their role in advancing insurance sector reforms and urged the House of Representatives to expedite action on the relevant insurance reform bill to enable it to receive presidential assent and become operational.
Representatives of the CBN Governor and the Managing Directors of AMCON, NEXIM and NDIC also commended the Senate committee for its oversight and legislative support, saying its interventions had strengthened the agencies’ capacity to discharge their statutory mandates.
The engagement, held under the theme, Strengthening Financial System Architecture for Sustainable Economic Growth and Stability in Nigeria, also featured presentations by Professor Uche Uwaleke, President of Capital Market Academics of Nigeria (CMAN); Professor Biodun Adedipe, Chief Consultant, B. Adedipe Associates Limited; and Dr Tilewa Adebajo, Chief Executive Officer of CFG Advisory.
The experts presented policy recommendations on key issues affecting Nigeria’s financial system, with emphasis on financial stability, investment and sustainable economic growth.
Mr Abiru said the Senate would continue to engage financial regulators and other stakeholders to deepen financial inclusion, strengthen public confidence in financial institutions and improve regulatory effectiveness.
He said the broader objective was to position Nigeria’s financial system to compete more effectively in the global economy while remaining resilient and responsive to the country’s economic transformation agenda.
