Insurance agents seek inclusion in insurance rebranding project

By ABDUL OLALEKAN

Insurance agents are calling on the insurance operators and stakeholders to include them in the proposed insurance rebranding project, expected to commence next year.

The rebranding project has been estimated to be a multi-million Naira project, expected to increase insurance sensitisation and education, in a bid to correct the negative perceptions of Nigerians about insurance products and services.

The President, Association of Registered Insurance Agents of Nigeria (ARIAN), Mr. Olamerun Gbadebo, while speaking in Lagos, stressed that efforts made by the drivers of the rebranding project would amount to futility, if issues like the internal structure of the agency system; remuneration of agents and review of brand strategy of agency marketing are not properly addressed.

Gbadebo, who was unhappy that the agents were excluded from the project, urged insurance rebranding stakeholders to first rebrand internal mechanism of insurance practice before embarking on the proposed project.

According to him, the allegation that conduct of agents in the past contributed to poor image of the industry, should prop drivers of the project to engage agents in remaking the image presently. He stressed that since agents are field workers, they should be brought in as change ambassadors in the new concept.

He also urged underwriters to critically examine the remuneration package of agents.

Speaking on ways ARIAN can assist in promoting the project, he called on the proponents to integrate the association in the project so that issues around agents could be properly addressed and that the agency network should be urgently restructured to give agents their rightful position in the industry.