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Motorists Demand Reversal of New Third-Party Insurance Policy
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Insurance Consumers Association of Nigeria (INSCAN), which includes motorists, has called on the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) to reverse its directive on the increase of third-party motor insurance premium in Nigeria.
NAICOM recently issued a policy directive on the increase of third-party insurance policy in Nigeria by 200 per cent.
INSCAN, in a letter signed by its National Coordinator, Mr Yemi Soladoye, demanded the reversal of the directive, saying it amounted to a deliberate breach of the fundamental Principle of Utmost Good Faith and other decent regulatory principles guiding Insurance practice.
“We hereby write with respect to your Circular No.: NAICOM /DPR/CIR.46/2022 dated Dec. 22, 2022, increasing the third-party motor insurance premium in Nigeria by 200-400 per cent for different categories of motor vehicles.
“And by implication, giving only one week’s notice to the insuring public of Nigeria to comply.
“We demand the reversal of the directive as it amounts to a deliberate breach of the Fundamental Principle of Utmost Good Faith and other decent regulatory principles that guide insurance practice,” it said.
The INSCAN recalled that enough time was given to the public for feedback and adjustments to be made on the recent cases of currency redesign as well as the cash withdrawal limit introduced by the CBN.
It said the almost 20 million Motor Insurance Consumers in Nigeria deserved more than a week’s notice for compliance, describing the duration as a great insult to the collective intelligence of Nigerians.
The association said it had read over 500 public comments by Nigerians on the directive, saying the reputation slowly built for the Nigeria Insurance Industry was being eroded by the series of condemnations.
It said that practitioners, as well as the various arms of the central government of Nigeria, were being unfairly treated.
It quipped, “How much has your commission paid out to victims and customers of Proscribed Insurance Companies over the past 20 years as required under Section 78 of the Insurance Act 2003 to justify an astronomical increase in premium amount?
“Where is the report of an ad hoc committee required to be set up under Sec. 52 of the Insurance Act 2003, stating the imperative of increasing Insurance Premium by a whopping 200 per cent?
“We also know that the referred Sec. 52 of that Insurance Law does not confer arbitrary powers on you because Insurance is a business affected by Public Policy and otherwise it becomes legalised robbery,” it said.
The association said that the predictable outcome of the directive would be a substantial increase in the number of fake Insurance Underwriters in Nigeria.
You are definitely aware of the fact that even at the current N5,000 MTP Premium, many Nigerians still patronise the fake underwriters.
“And this is not because these Nigerians cannot afford the N5,000 but because they don’t see any benefit be it under your genuine or the fake cover,” the association said
It said that the directive would garner more money to the pockets of NAICOM and insurance operators and more hardship to Nigerian insurance consumers.
“To what extent have the interests of the Policyholders of the Insurance Underwriters, whose licences you revoked in the past year, been protected?
“How much have you paid to the various Fire Brigades in Nigeria as Fire Service Maintenance Fund as prescribed under Sec. 65 of the Insurance Act 2003.
“But still, you are quick to increase the Premium burden on the largely dissatisfied Insurance Customers in Nigeria,” it said.
INSCAN lamented the increment without due consideration for the feelings of the consumers, particularly in Nigeria, where the good customers who didn’t make claims are never rewarded.
The association said that failure to reverse the obnoxious directive would put NAICOM on record as the regulator with the highest level of impunity and insensitivity in Nigeria.
It stated that NAICOM’s policy directive was not subjected to civilised trade practices, professionally-accepted insurance principles, transparent customer-oriented regulations and humane attention to the economic situation of most Nigerians.
The association said that consumers were further convinced that the motive behind the directive was self-serving, arrogant and detrimental to their interests.
It said NAICOM was established to protect consumers, demanding a reversal of the policy pending proper consideration of the grey areas of the directive.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A Nigerian-American identified as Mr Adegoke Oluwatobi Adams has been arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Ilorin, Kwara State, over his alleged link with cross-border vehicle import fraud of about $320,000 (approximately N434.88 million).
A statement from the EFCC disclosed that the suspect is being investigated for alleged criminal breach of trust and obtaining money by false pretence.
Preliminary investigations revealed that he allegedly belongs to a syndicate based in the United States that specialises in defrauding unsuspecting Nigerians under the guise of purchasing and importing vehicles from the US for them.
It was discovered that while residing in America, Mr Adams allegedly advertised and circulated photographs of a 2024 Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG to prospective buyers in Nigeria, promising to purchase and ship the luxury vehicle to them.
Findings revealed that two victims allegedly paid $320,000 for the vehicle. One of the victims, Ikechukwu Osita Ifeabunike, reportedly paid $145,000 through an intermediary, while another victim, Godson Azubuike Amans, allegedly paid $175,000 for the same vehicle.
Further investigation also uncovered a prior criminal record involving Mr Adams in the United States, allegedly related to the illegal acquisition of vehicles. In the long run, the suspect was arrested by operatives of the Ilorin Zonal Directorate of the EFCC upon his return to Nigeria.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A few passengers on a Warri-Itakpe train were feared to have died on Monday in a derailment, which affected at least four coaches. Some of the passengers were also said to have suffered some degree of injury.
This was confirmed by the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) in a statement today.
The unfortunate incident involved the Warri–Itakpe Train Service (WITS), the agency stated, though it did not confirm the number of human casualties.
However, it noted that emergency response teams and relevant authorities were at the scene attending to the situation and providing necessary assistance.
“The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) confirms that an incident involving the Warri–Itakpe Train Service (WITS) occurred today.
“Emergency response teams and relevant authorities are currently at the scene attending to the situation and providing necessary assistance,” the chief executive of the organisation, Mr Kayode Opeifa, said in the statement.
“The corporation is closely monitoring developments and a detailed statement will be issued as soon as more information becomes available,” it added.
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigerian mobility startup Shuttlers has surpassed 10 million trips on its platform and expanded its reach through an integration with Google Maps Transit in Nigeria, thereby strengthening access to public transportation information.
According to a statement on Monday, the milestones reflect the growing need for structured, shared mobility in urban Africa.
The 10-million-trip milestone coincides with Shuttlers’ 10th year of operations, marking a key point in its growth trajectory. Meanwhile, the Google Maps integration now allows users searching for transit directions on the platform to view Shuttlers’ routes and book seats directly through its system.
The partnership is expected to broaden access to reliable shared transportation options for businesses and professionals navigating major urban centres.
To achieve a Google Transit Partner status, Shuttlers aligned its data architecture, route systems, and real-time operational capabilities with Google’s partner infrastructure requirements.
Across the continent’s fastest-growing cities, formal public transport infrastructure faces significant pressure from rapid population growth, leaving millions of professionals dependent on fragmented and costly alternatives. According to the World Bank, African cities lose an estimated 2% to 5% of GDP annually to transport inefficiency.
Shuttlers currently serves 30,000 active users across more than 1,000 itineraries, operating more than 430 buses daily across Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. Since launching in 2016, the platform said it has maintained a 99 per cent trip completion rate and a 99.94 per cent incident-free rate across its entire journey history.
The average Shuttlers commuter saves 60 per cent to 88 per cent on transport costs compared to ride-hailing services, and reclaims 8 to 12 hours from gridlock every month. In Lagos, the average commuter loses more than 30 hours a month to gridlock.
Speaking on this achievement, chief executive and co-founder of Shuttlers, Ms Damilola Olokesusi, shared, “We are incredibly proud of our integration into the Google Maps Transit system. This, alongside hitting 10 million journeys since launch, is a reflection of years of hard work. For millions of professionals, commuting is still unpredictable, exhausting and expensive.”
“We have spent the last 10 years building technology and operational infrastructure that makes daily transportation more dependable – for commuters, businesses that employ them, and the fleet operators who power our network,” she added.
On his part, Mr Olumide Balogun, Director for West Africa at Google, said: “We are pleased to welcome Shuttlers into the Google Transit ecosystem in Nigeria. Reliable transit information helps people navigate cities more confidently and efficiently. As more Nigerians adopt digital tools for everyday mobility, integrations like these help make trusted transportation easier to discover and access.”
Reiterated its commitment to sustainability, Shutters also disclosed that it is actively integrating Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and electric buses into its fleet, reducing emissions by up to 60 per cent compared to traditional diesel alternatives.
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