Kano State is leaving no stone unturned to unravel the whole gamut of insurance as a major launch pad for economic development and improve state internally generated revenue. With this established, the National Insurance Commission matched this by throwing in its resources in that direction to give the state full value in the operations of insurance for government, individuals and businesses and make Kano a beacon for the region to follow.
The state of relationship between Kano and NAICOM cultivated in the recent years culminated in Commission’s hosting the state’s committee on implementation of compulsory insurances to a 3 days retreat in Abuja. The Committee headed by the Secretary to the Kano State government Alhaji Usman Alhaji has assembled high calibre citizens to execute the project.
Governor Umar Danduje represented by the Secretary to State Government Alj. Usman Alhaji said the 18 man technical committee is charged to work on IGR impact on the state and follow through with “effective implementation of insurance policies, which we hope would facilitate our revenue generation drive.”
Continuing, Danduje said the expectation is that the Committee would use the retreat “to explore mechanisms that will in the ultimate translate into changing the tenets of revenue generation for sustainable implementation of meaningful developmental projects and policies for the overall good of our people.”
The Commissioner for Insurance Mr Sunday Thomas, was ebullient in his endorsement of the speed of “serious steps to implement this project” which he added “has given us courage and confidence that insurance can indeed, thrive in Kano State in particular and Nigeria in general.”
Thomas comments, “The objective of this retreat is to equip members of the Committee with requisite information and knowledge to enable them maximise opportunities that will help grow and develop insurance culture amongst Kano state citizens, boost internally generated revenue for the state and, as well as serve as a social protection mechanism that will assist both government and citizens in the event of any disaster.”
While commending the Governor for acceding to the request for accommodation and granting same with speed, he also urged the state to implement the compulsory insurances with speed, and expressed confidence that the committee which cut across various sectors of the economy and business community in the state, should look beyond compulsory classes of insurance.
His plea, “Beyond compulsory classes of insurance, the Committee could also look at encouraging individuals and corporate entities within the state to embrace other non-mandatory insurances either through takaful insurance (otherwise known as Islamic insurance) or microinsurance which caters for the low income earners who constitute larger percentage of the population and businesses. This will enable an all inclusive approach to the drive for insurance uptake and will address most of the sentiments against insurance in our society.”
Thomas also emphasised an earlier demand that the Committee consider and make recommendations to the state government on ways of including insurance cover to secure funds disbursed either to farmers or traders in its poverty alleviation programmes.
