By Rosemary Onuoha

The Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) will be commencing moves to reposition the insurance profession in the country to ensure the continued relevance of the profession and the practitioners in the economy.

President of CIIN, Mr. Wole Adetimehin, gave this assurance in his acceptance speech after he was invested as the 44th president of the institute in Lagos . He has called for a collaborative effort to reposition the insurance profession and the industry.

To strengthen the relevance of insurance profession, he said the CIIN would be initiating the insurance and governmental relations to promote insurance awareness among the three tiers of government in the country.

Adetimehin also stated that a formidable team of insurance operators charged with developing inputs into the national budget will be put in place. “There will also be an annual forum to discuss and analyse the budget with a view to bringing to the front burner, the opportunities for economic growth and in particular, and the expectations from the insurance sector,” he stressed.

As part of efforts to enhance the quality of insurance education in the country, the CIIN boss assured that concerted efforts will be made towards the development and completion of the institute’s College of Insurance and Financial Management.

Taking into consideration the perception of insurance profession by the public in the country, Adetimehin said the blurred perception of insurance practitioners and the industry need to be laundered. Besides, he stated that there is need for a reawakening to ensure the continued sustenance of the insurance profession, saying “we must all come together to ward-off the encroachment into the core areas of insurance practice. Evidence abound that insurance services are being rendered by bodies without professional training and experience. This is a trend that threatens the soul of our profession.”

Adetimehin, who was until recently the Deputy President of the CIIN, succeeds the Sunny Adeda.

Born to the family of Pa Josiah Adetimehin and Madam Julianah Adetimehin (both of Ile-Oluji, Ondo State ), Adetimehin attended Lisabi Grammar School , Abeokuta , from where he proceeded to the University of Lagos .

A foundation member of the Department of Insurance and Actuarial Science of the University of Lagos , Adetimehin possesses a B.Sc. Honours degree in Insurance, and an MSc degree in Management.

He is an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute of London and Nigeria- (ACII, AIIN) respectively, and Fellow of the CIIN, since 2004.

He has had a varied experience in the fields of Risk Management, Insurance (both Brokerage and Underwriting), Consultancy and professional Management, having worked in the firm of Messrs Hogg Robinson Nigeria (Insurance Brokers), where he attained the position of Controller (Oil and Energy).

He became the Managing Director of AFN Insurance Brokers Limited in 1990; from where he moved to become the Managing Director of Nfi Insurance Company Limited (formerly Nigeria-French Insurance Company Limited) in 1998. He moved from Nfi to assume the position of Vice Chairman & CEO, Jully & Partners Insurance Brokers Limited, a position he occupies till date.