NAICOM Increases Licencing Fee for New Insurance Operators by 100%

Ebere Nwoji

Following the recent increase in application, reinsurance and insurance firms venturing into Nigerian insurance market will now pay a non-refundable fee of N10 million as against initial N5million, showing 100 per cent increase in the fee payable by new operators.

According to NAICOM, application fee which is non-refundable for reinsurance operation is now N10 million as against N5 million paid in the past; Life business, N10 million, from N5 million; general business, N10 million, from N5 million; broker, N500,000 from N250,000; Loss Adjuster, N300,000 from N75,000 and agent N5,000.

The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) stated this in its recently released Revised Market Conduct and Business Guidelines for Insurance and Reinsurance Companies.

On registration/licensing fee, NAICOM placed reinsurance on 1 per cent of paid-up share capital. Same applied to life and general business, while brokers were placed on N3.5 million from N2.5 million and loss adjuster, N500,000.

According to NAICOM, a broker seeking registration has to pay N500,000 fee, while renewal fees were pegged at N300,000 for brokers, N200,000 for loss adjusters and N3,000 for agents.

The commission said that change of name for reinsurance and insurance is now N100,000; brokers, N50,000 and loss adjusters, N30,000.

It said change of ownership (acquiring majority share) fee is put at one per cent of the acquisition amount for reinsurance and insurance, adding that certificate fee per year for audited account is N50,000, while certificate of operation for insurance and brokers is N50,000.

The Commissioner for Insurance, Sunday Thomas, said NAICOM would continue to grant operating licence to insurance and reinsurance firms that show and have capacity to impact the underwriting sector.

He noted that the commission would continue to encourage the development of the insurance sector by ensuring that capable players are welcomed into the system.

The commission said it would address the lingering recapitalisation that has dragged in the industry for so long.

“Finance Act provisions recently issued late last year, NAICOM has studied the provisions and came up with regulatory guidance which we will soon issue to the market, and with the guidelines, the lingering issue of recapitalisation would be resolved, ”the commissioner said.