The Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) is expanding its global ambitions with a strategic push to deepen ties with Nigerian professionals embedded within the United Kingdom’s insurance sector. The move forms part of a broader agenda to tap diaspora expertise in bolstering the domestic insurance landscape.
Mrs Yetunde Ilori, the newly appointed president and chairman of the Council of the CIIN, made her intentions clear during a landmark virtual forum with UK-based members - her first such engagement since assuming office as the Institute’s 52nd president.
Addressing participants from across Britain’s insurance community, Mrs Ilori called for “stronger collaboration” and laid out an ambitious plan to ensure that Nigerian professionals abroad are not only kept in the loop but are actively involved in shaping the sector at home.
The meeting represented a significant first for the CIIN under Ilori’s leadership, underscoring her intention to foster inclusivity across borders. "I want to thank you for creating this opportunity to understand what is happening in our reputable institution, it’s a thing of joy. I’ve seen lots of improvements in the activities of the institute in the last two to three years,” said Olugbenga Fijimi, a London-based member of the institute.
Mrs Ilori’s administration has adopted the “EPIC” agenda - Education, Professionalism, Institutional Recognition, and Capacity Building - as its governing ethos. She took the opportunity to spotlight the institute’s recently launched e-learning platform, available on iOS and Android, which is designed to support ongoing professional development. Diaspora members were encouraged to make full use of the tool.
The institute’s registrar, Mrs Abimbola Tiamiyu, echoed the president’s sentiments, affirming that the CIIN regards overseas members as vital contributors. “The institute is committed to its primary assignment of satisfying the interests of its members, whether home or abroad,” she said.
Several members based in the UK signalled their willingness to become more actively involved, including serving on institute committees and helping forge stronger institutional links with the UK’s Chartered Insurance Institute (CII). Mobolaji Davies, another UK-based member, called for the establishment of a platform to share insights gleaned from the British market. “A suggestion platform where probably some of us that are already working in the insurance space here in the United Kingdom can share some things that we see on the job which could improve the Nigerian Industry,” he said.
The push comes at a time when Nigeria’s insurance sector is undergoing notable transformation. The CIIN, which recently celebrated surpassing 3,000 active members, has been intensifying efforts to elevate professional standards across the board. Founded in 1959 and granted chartered status in 1993, the institute has become the backbone of professional education and ethics in the country’s insurance industry.
Mrs Ilori concluded the meeting with a rallying call, announcing plans to relocate the CIIN Secretariat to a new, more modern facility on Victoria Island - a symbolic move intended to reflect the organisation’s evolving ambitions. She appealed to members for financial contributions to help bring the project to fruition.
She also confirmed that plans are underway to formally inaugurate a UK chapter of the CIIN, pending the finalisation of necessary documentation.
With its combination of seasoned leadership, forward-thinking policies, and renewed engagement with the diaspora, the CIIN appears poised to strengthen Nigeria’s insurance industry by leveraging expertise from one of the world’s leading financial hubs.
