House to Probe Fake Insurance Certificates

Juliet Akoje in Abuja

The House of Representatives has mandated its Committee on Insurance and Actuarial Matters to investigate the incidences of fake insurance certificates in Nigeria and report back within six weeks for further legislative action.

It also urged insurance companies and brokerage to have operational offices in major cities in the country.

These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion on the need to investigate the incidences of fake insurance certificates in Nigeria by Hon. Oluyemi Adewale Taiwo at plenary on Wednesday.

Presenting the motion, Taiwo noted that the Insurance Act, 2003 mandates all motorists to have a minimum of Third-Party Motor Insurance Policy in place and that Section 68 of Act stipulates that: “No person shall use or cause or permit any other person to use a motor vehicle on a road unless a liability which he may thereby incur in respect of damage to the property of third party is insured with an insurer registered under this Act.”

He explained that the statutory laws of the country stipulate that no motorist should ply Nigeria roads without having a genuine insurance certificate. However, most motorists have continued to show absolute disregard for the statutory requirement.

“The number of vehicles with fake certificates on Nigerian road has risen to 9.4 million and the figure released by the Nigeria Insurers Association revealed that only 2.72 million vehicles on Nigeria roads have valid insurance covers as of February 2021.

“Millions of vehicles, trucks and motorcycles plying Nigeria roads are not insured,” he added.