BY NKECHI NAECHE-ESEZOBOR—The Federal Government has thrown its weight behind risk-based capital in the insurance industry and urged insurance company boards to move from passive regulatory compliance to active oversight.

The government made its position known through the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, at the 2026 Insurance Directors’ Conference, themed “Recapitalisation to Resilience: Leading the Risk-Based Capital Era.” The conference was organised by the College of Insurance and Financial Management (CIFM).

The minister, who was represented by Dr. Greg Ugochukwu Ezeilo, Special Adviser on Fiscal Risk Management and Sustainability, said a resilient insurance industry is indispensable to the country’s economic transformation.

He described insurance as more than a mechanism for compensating losses, calling it an instrument for mobilising long-term capital, enabling productive investment and protecting livelihoods. He said the economy needs an insurance sector able to underwrite emerging risks, support infrastructure financing and strengthen agricultural productivity.

On the transition to risk-based capital, he said insurers must align their capital with the nature, scale and complexity of the risks they take on. He also called for a more forward-looking approach to governance, investment decisions, underwriting practices and enterprise risk management.

“Capital without governance is vulnerable,” he said. He added that governance without accountability is ineffective, and that insurance without public confidence cannot fulfil its economic value.

According to him, the transition places heightened responsibility on insurance company boards. He said directors must move beyond passive regulatory compliance to active oversight and ensure that risk appetite, capital allocation, corporate strategy and institutional capacity are consistently aligned.

He set out five priorities for the industry. The first is strong governance, with visible leadership at the top, independent oversight and transparency, noting that public confidence remains the industry’s most valuable capital. The second is wider access, with affordable, accessible and relevant products for households, small businesses, farmers and underserved communities, so that insurance becomes an everyday instrument of economic security rather than a privilege of a limited market segment.

The third is directing the industry’s long-term funds, under prudent investment frameworks, towards productive investment, infrastructure financing and sustainable economic growth. The fourth is technology and innovation, including big data analytics, machine learning, artificial intelligence and innovative underwriting models, supported by robust cyber security, consumer protection and operational safeguards. The fifth is building capacity to handle emerging risks such as climate-related disruptions, cyber threats, changing demographics and increasingly interconnected financial markets.

He said the Federal Government remains committed to a stable, competitive and inclusive financial ecosystem in which insurance contributes meaningfully to national economic development. He recognised the National Insurance Commission’s role in strengthening regulatory standards, protecting policyholders and guiding the industry through the transition.

He said sustainable reform requires collaboration among regulators, operators, investors and government, and urged stakeholders to see the transition not simply as a regulatory exercise but as an opportunity for strategic transformation.

The ultimate measure of success, he said, is how effectively the industry helps Nigerians absorb shocks, builds confidence and finds progress.

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