By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The Chief Financial Officer of AXA Mansard, Ms Ngozi Ola-Israel, has clinched the CFO of the Year award of the prestigious Women Tabloid Awards, a platform designed to celebrate trailblazing women redefining success and challenging stereotypes across industries and geographies.

Ms Ola-Israel is one of the leading CFOs on the continent as she was recognised as one of the Top 50 CFOs in Africa in 2024

She thanked the organisers of the awards for the honour and going above and beyond to spotlight the incredible work and impact of women across sectors.

“My emergence as the 2025 CFO of the Year is further proof of AXA’s commitment to inclusive protection and to creating an environment where people are empowered to care and dare

“I am incredibly grateful for the people I work with. Their collaboration and dedication have shaped this journey, culminating in this award.

“Recognition like this only happens when you’re surrounded by people who challenge you to be your best and support you through it all.

“This honour will fuel my resolve to continue giving my best, mentoring others, and creating opportunities that elevate women, the finance profession, and impactful leadership,” she enthused.

On her part, the Chief Client Officer of AXA Mansard Insurance Plc, Ms Rashidat Adebisi, said the recognition of her colleague is another testament to the remarkable role she and her team continue to play in the company’s success, despite the challenges of the dynamic operating environment.

“On behalf of the board and management, I congratulate our dear CFO. This is a well-deserved recognition.

“Under her leadership, we have achieved sustained financial growth, strengthened our market positioning, and enhanced corporate governance.

“Her visionary leadership was instrumental in the successful implementation of IFRS 17, reinforcing our commitment to transparency and global best practices,” she stated.

Ms Ola-Israel, a respected voice in the finance community, is a member of the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council.

With over a decade of dedicated service at AXA Mansard, she began her journey as Group Head of Financial Control and rose to the position of CFO in 2017.

Under her leadership, the company surpassed its 2024 revenue targets by 32 per cent and recorded a nearly 50 per cent increase in share price.

She also served as Chief Data Officer from 2019 to 2024, leading enterprise-wide data transformation and strategy.

Her influence extends to board-level roles as a non-executive director at AXA Mansard Investments and APD, where she contributes to governance and performance oversight.

Ms Ola-Israel has led several transformative initiatives, including the development of KPI and premium financing dashboards, a car valuation model that improved claims integrity, a remote vehicle inspection tool, and a comprehensive value chain analysis that enhanced operational efficiency and customer experience.

Beyond finance, she is a passionate mentor and advocate for gender equity. She founded the Finance Community at AXA Mansard to promote continuous learning and mentor aspiring women board members through WIMBIZ. She also plays a key role in AXA Mansard’s sustainability agenda, embedding ESG strategies into operations and strategic planning.

She has spoken at major industry events, including the 2024 International Conference for Women in Insurance.

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has moved to quell rising worries amid an alleged call for the deportation of Nigerians from Ghana.

The Chairman of the commission, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, in a statement issued by the Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols of NiDCOM, Mr Abdur-Rahman Balogun, made the call following tensions between citizens of the two West African countries.

She said the issue was already being handled at the diplomatic level by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Business Post reports that the statement followed the backdrop of a trending video on social media showing some Ghanaians demanding the immediate repatriation of Nigerians from their country.

“The attention of NiDCOM has been drawn to a disturbing video on social media showing protest by some Ghanaians, calling on the authority to send Nigerians back to Nigeria.

“I appeal for calm and urge Nigerians living in Ghana not to be provoked or go into violence with anyone, as the issue is being handled at the diplomatic level by the Minister of State Foreign Affairs, Mrs Bianca Ojukwu.

“Anyone using inciteful words, on both sides should desist henceforth, as such statements are capable of escalating the matter,” the NiDCOM head said, urging Nigerians to disregard the videos circulating that Nigerians’ shops and properties were being destroyed by Ghanaians.

According to the NiDCOM boss, there is no evidence to that effect and so Nigerians must at all cost try to prevent any reprisal attacks.

She lauded the Ghanaian and Nigerian High Commissioners for their efforts to control the situation.

Mrs Dabiri-Erewa added that the Minister of State, Foreign Affairs was already in touch with Ghanaian authorities, and had taken some pro- active measures toward finding an amicable resolution, stressing that the blanket outrage against Nigerians living in Ghana and branding them as criminals should be condemned by all.

This, according to her, is because Nigerians are not criminals but good ambassadors wherever they find themselves, advising that the bad ones among them should be fished out to face necessary sanctions.

“Ghana and Nigeria are like siamese twins. They are brothers, and in the spirit of ECOWAS and regional integration, should continue to live in peace like brothers,” she added.

By Adedapo Adesanya

Insurance technology (insurtech) companies will be limited from participating in businesses in the oil and gas, marine, aviation sectors, among others, and engaging in cryptocurrency transactions.

This is part of new guidelines published by the industry’s regulator, National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) effective from August 1.

According to the guidelines for insurtech operations in Nigeria, issued on Wednesday via its website, NAICOM noted that these cannot be carried out without its approval, noting that insurance businesses like “oil and gas insurance, marine and aviation insurance, retirement life annuity, and insurance of government assets and liabilities for ministries, departments, and agencies. Launching products or using dynamic pricing without actuarial support or prior approval from the Commission, and complete reliance on artificial intelligence systems to decline claims without human intervention.

“Crypto-based transactions: Acceptance of premiums or settlement of claims in cryptocurrency without prior approval of the Commission. Data privacy violations: Sharing of personal data without explicit consent, in breach of NDPR or related frameworks. Manipulative platform design (Dark Patterns): Interface design tactics that mislead users into purchasing or renewing an insurance policy. Cross-border digital sales without approval: Offering insurance to foreign jurisdictions without prior approval of the Commission.”

They are also barred from physical marketing of insurance products as done by conventional insurance operators.

In terms of the minimum capital threshold, NAICOM said that for standalone insurtech, it will be the higher of “a. N1.5m per category of general or non-life insurance business or risk-based capital determined from time to time by the Commission. b. N1,000,000,000 per category of life insurance business or risk-based capital determined from time to time by the Commission; or c. Such other amount as may be prescribed by the commission from time to time.”

For insurtech partnering with insurance institutions, the regulator pegged the minimum capital requirement at N10 million as of the date of application and shall continue to maintain the same throughout the license period.

It added a professional indemnity of not less than N100 million or as may be prescribed by the Commission from time to time.

The commission warned that it may increase from time to time the minimum capital requirement.

Also, players in this sector would be required to submit to the commission audited annual financial statements not later than the first quarter of the subsequent year.

NAICOM has warned that once the guidelines become effective on Friday, all insurance institutions and insurtech firms operating under any agreement, whether called insurtech business or otherwise, shall comply with the provisions of these guidelines within 30 days of their coming into effect.