By Our Reporter
Former Commissioner for Insurance and Chief Executive Officer of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Mr. Olorundare Sunday Thomas, will chair the 2026 Business Journal Insurance and Pension Roundtable scheduled to hold on Tuesday, November 24, in Lagos.
The event, organised by Business Journal Media Group, will take place at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, beginning at 10 a.m.
The roundtable, with the theme, “Beyond Recapitalisation: The Challenge of Customer Service and Growth for Insurance and Pension Operators,” will bring together key stakeholders to examine how operators can translate stronger capital bases into improved customer service, increased public confidence and sustainable business growth.
According to the organisers, the gathering will also examine the future of Nigeria's insurance and pension industries, particularly the challenges and opportunities facing operators as they prepare for changing economic and policy conditions.
Thomas, who served as NAICOM commissioner and chief executive until April 30, 2024, is the managing partner of DASUNOTH Limited, a management consultancy firm.
He previously served as Director-General and Chief Executive of the Nigerian Insurers Association from 2010 to April 2017, during which he spearheaded several industry initiatives, including the establishment of the Nigerian Insurance Industry Database.
His earlier career included service at NAICOM between 1992 and 2009, where he held various director-level positions covering research and market development, technical operations and inspectorate services.
The insurance professional holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Actuarial Science and an MBA in Finance from the University of Lagos. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria and an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute of London.
He has also served on several industry and financial sector committees and governing boards, including the National Pension Commission, the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board and the Africa Reinsurance Corporation.
The roundtable is expected to attract senior government officials and prominent figures in the insurance and pension industries.
The special guests of honour are the Commissioner for Insurance and Chief Executive Officer of NAICOM, Mr. Olusegun Omosehin, and the Director-General of the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Ms. Omolola Oloworaran.
The keynote address will be delivered by Mr. Tope Smart, Group Chairman of NEM Insurance Group.
Other distinguished guests include Mr. Jide Orimolade, President and Chairman of Council of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria; Mrs. Anthonia Ifeanyi-Okoro, Chief Executive Officer of the Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria; Mrs. Ebelechukwu Nwachukwu, Chairperson of the Nigerian Insurers Association; and Mrs. Ekeoma Ezeibe, President and Chairman of Council of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers.
Members of the panel include Mr. Adedayo Arowojolu, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Unitrust Insurance Company Limited; Mr. Ivor Takor, a pension industry activist and expert; and Mrs. Felicia Bolajoko David, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Alliance and General Insurance Plc.
Speaking on the event, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Business Journal Media Group, Prince Cookey, expressed delight at Thomas's acceptance to chair the roundtable, describing him as a distinguished figure who had made significant contributions to Nigeria's insurance industry as both a professional and a regulator.
Cookey said the successful conclusion of the insurance industry's recapitalisation exercise on July 31, 2026, had strengthened the sector's capital base and generated optimism about its future.
He, however, maintained that increased capital must translate into tangible benefits for policyholders and the wider economy.
According to him, insurance companies and pension operators must address fundamental questions about how they intend to deploy their capital to improve customer service, expand their markets and achieve sustainable growth.
He also drew attention to the ongoing recapitalisation process in the pension industry, initiated by PenCom, with a June 2027 compliance deadline for Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) and Pension Fund Custodians (PFCs).
Cookey noted that operators in both sectors must prepare for possible changes in government policies and the business environment following the 2027 presidential election.
He said the election's outcome could have significant implications for insurance firms and pension operators, extending beyond capital requirements to the broader regulatory and economic framework within which they operate.
The Business Journal Insurance and Pension Roundtable 2026 is designed to raise public awareness about insurance and pension services and develop practical recommendations for improving market visibility, customer service, sustainable growth and the sectors' contribution to Nigeria's national economy. NNL.
