Insurance

Stanbic IBTC Insurance Wins Top Honour at CRe Africa Awards 2026

Published

2 hours ago

April 24, 2026

L-R: Managing Director, Lasaco Assurance Plc, Ademoye Shobo; Managing Director, Continental Re, Dr. Fatai Lawal; Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Cornerstone Insurance Plc, Mr. Stephen Alangbo; Josephine Ogundeji; Group CEO of Continental Reinsurance Holdings, Lawrence Nazare; Blessing Ifechukwude; Chief Executive, Stanbic IBTC Insurance Limited, Mr Jide Orimolade; Henry Uche; Chief Underwriting Officer – Facultative, Continental Reinsurance, Bashir Akinsiku

Stanbic IBTC Insurance Wins Top Honour at CRe Africa Awards 2026

Stanbic IBTC Insurance Limited has emerged as the overall winner of the CRe Momentum Award at the inaugural CRe Insurance Awards for Africa 2026, announced during the Continental Reinsurance CEO Summit held in Kigali, Rwanda, on April 17, 2026.

The prestigious award recognises insurers that demonstrate consistent growth, strong financial performance, and strategic impact across Africa’s insurance industry. Stanbic IBTC Insurance was singled out for its disciplined execution, strong commercial results, and highly effective bancassurance model, which has significantly driven its life insurance growth.

Judges at the awards noted that the company’s bancassurance strategy—leveraging banking platforms to distribute insurance products—remains one of the most efficient on the continent. The firm’s ability to combine innovation, customer reach, and operational efficiency has positioned it as a leader in Nigeria’s insurance market.

Beyond its growth metrics, Stanbic IBTC Insurance has built a reputation for prompt claims settlement, sound risk management, and customer-focused service delivery, further strengthening trust among policyholders and stakeholders.

In the same CRe Momentum Award category, Cornerstone Insurance Plc (Nigeria) secured second place, while La Générale des Assurances (Benin) finished third, reflecting strong competition among leading African insurers.

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In the Emerging Champions category, which celebrates fast-growing and innovative insurance companies, Agrails Ltd (Kenya) emerged winner, while Britam Connect (Kenya) came second.

The event also featured the 11th Pan-African Re/Insurance Journalism Awards, organised by Continental Reinsurance Plc, to honour excellence in reporting the insurance and reinsurance sector across Africa. A total of 184 entries from both Anglophone and Francophone countries were reviewed.

Uganda’s Isaac Khisa of The Independent Publications was named Overall Winner, also clinching the top spot in the English Print category for his report on Africa’s reinsurance market. Nigeria’s Josephine Ogundeji of Punch Newspaper was named first runner-up, while Ojeme Sunday of New Telegraph came second.

In the English Online category, Henry Uche of Daily Sun (Nigeria) emerged winner, followed by Isaac Khisa as first runner-up and Tendai Makaripe of 263 Chat (Zimbabwe) as second runner-up.

The English Broadcast category was won by Blessing Ifechukwude of Voice of Nigeria, with Mercy Tyra Murengu of Media Max Network (Kenya) and Samuel Nana Effah Obeng of GN Media (Ghana) finishing as first and second runners-up respectively.

Taurai Museka won the English Social Media category, while winners also emerged from Burkina Faso in the French category and Egypt in the Arabic category, highlighting the awards’ growing continental reach.

Additionally, Josephine Ogundeji received the Dr Femi Oyetunji Future Talent Award, while Mercy Tyra Murengu earned Special Recognition for her contribution.

Speaking at the event, Group CEO of Continental Reinsurance Holdings, Lawrence Nazare, said the inclusion of 10 new participating countries reflects the expanding influence of the awards across Africa. Chief Judge Michael Wilson also noted that the quality of entries continues to improve, making the selection process increasingly competitive.

Winners across categories received certificates, trophies, and cash prizes, with the overall winner earning $2,000, category winners receiving $1,500, first runners-up $1,000, and second runners-up $500.

The launch of the CRe Insurance Awards for Africa marks a significant step in recognising excellence, innovation, and leadership within the continent’s insurance ecosystem. Stanbic IBTC Insurance’s victory further reinforces Nigeria’s growing role as a hub for insurance innovation and life insurance expansion in Africa.

Stanbic IBTC Insurance Wins Top Honour at CRe Africa Awards 2026

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Lasaco Assurance Launches N18.47bn Rights Issue to Strengthen Capital Base

Insurance

Lasaco Assurance Launches N18.47bn Rights Issue to Strengthen Capital Base

Published

3 weeks ago

April 3, 2026

Trends Admin

L-R: Deputy Managing Director, Rilwan Oshinusi; Non-Executive Director, Biodun Dosunmu; Betridge; Managing Director, Adeyemo Shobo; Non-Executive Director, Oluwatobiloba Lawal; Fola Tinubu, during a signing ceremony on rights issue of N18.47bn.

Lasaco Assurance Launches N18.47bn Rights Issue to Strengthen Capital Base

Lasaco Assurance Plc has unveiled a ₦18.47 billion rights issue, announcing plans to offer 9,236,321,546 ordinary shares as part of efforts to reinforce its capital base and drive future growth.

The announcement was made during a signing ceremony held at the company’s head office in Lagos, following approvals from the Nigerian Exchange Group (NGX) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Lasaco Assurance Plc

Prior to this development, the company had secured shareholder backing at an extra general meeting, where investors approved the move to raise fresh capital through a rights issue.

Under the terms of the offer, shares are priced at ₦2.00 per share, with each share having a nominal value of 50 kobo. The rights issue is structured on the basis of five new shares for every six existing shares held by shareholders.

According to details released by the insurer, eligibility is limited to shareholders whose names appeared on the company’s register as of the close of business on February 20, 2026. The acceptance list opened on April 2, 2026, and will close on April 24, 2026.

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The capital raise is expected to generate approximately ₦18.47 billion, which will be used to strengthen the company’s underwriting capacity and position it for expansion within Nigeria’s highly competitive insurance industry.

In addition, the rights offered will be tradable on the floor of the Nigerian Exchange Limited, allowing shareholders the flexibility to either subscribe to their allotted shares or sell their rights during the offer period.

Financial advisers to the transaction include Meristem Capital Limited as the Lead Issuing House and PAC Capital as Joint Issuing House.

The move aligns with broader efforts across the insurance sector to meet regulatory capital requirements, enhance balance sheets, and improve capacity to underwrite large-ticket risks across various sectors of the economy.

Speaking on the development, the Managing Director of Lasaco Assurance Plc, Mr. Ademoye Shobo, stated:
“At Lasaco, we will continue to ensure that our capital is always robust, so that we’re able to deliver on the mandates to the general public.”

Lasaco Assurance Launches N18.47bn Rights Issue to Strengthen Capital Base

Insurance

Lasaco Assurance Deepens ESG Integration to Drive Sustainable Growth

Published

4 weeks ago

March 25, 2026

Trends Admin

Lasaco Assurance Deepens ESG Integration to Drive Sustainable Growth

Lasaco Assurance Plc has reinforced its growth strategy through the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles, aimed at strengthening resilience, improving governance standards, and delivering long-term value across its operations.

The company said its approach reflects a deliberate alignment of expansion goals with responsible underwriting, sound governance frameworks, and disciplined risk management practices.

Amid evolving regulatory requirements and rising stakeholder expectations, Lasaco noted that sustainability considerations are now being embedded into its core business processes to promote stability, transparency, and consistent performance.

Rather than treating ESG as a separate initiative, the insurer stated that it is incorporating governance oversight, compliance, integrity, and performance accountability into its strategic decision-making processes. This, it said, ensures that growth initiatives are supported by prudent financial management, structured risk evaluation, and strengthened internal controls.

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Speaking on the development, the Managing Director, Ademoye Shobo, stressed the importance of aligning business expansion with responsibility and governance.

“Sustainable growth requires discipline, accountability, and structured risk management. We are integrating ESG principles into our strategic framework to ensure that expansion remains supported by strong governance and responsible operational practices,” he said.

Lasaco further disclosed that it is enhancing its compliance architecture, reporting standards, and governance processes in line with industry requirements. The measures, according to the company, are designed to improve operational resilience, ensure regulatory compliance, and strengthen confidence among policyholders, partners, and other stakeholders.

The firm added that through disciplined governance, structured risk oversight, and responsible execution of growth strategies, it is positioning itself to remain competitive, boost market confidence, and deliver sustained value within Nigeria’s insurance sector.

Lasaco Assurance Deepens ESG Integration to Drive Sustainable Growth

Insurance

Lasaco Assurance Secures Shareholder Commitments to Drive Capitalisation Plans

Published

2 months ago

February 9, 2026

Trends Admin

Lasaco Assurance Secures Shareholder Commitments to Drive Capitalisation Plans

Lasaco Assurance Plc has secured formal commitment letters from its shareholders following its recently concluded Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM), reinforcing confidence in the company’s capitalisation strategy amid ongoing regulatory reforms in Nigeria’s insurance industry.

The commitments provide a clear pathway for the company to proceed with its approved plan to raise additional capital in compliance with the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act and other relevant regulatory requirements.

Speaking on the development, the Acting Managing Director of Lasaco Assurance Plc, Mr. Ademoye Shobo, described the shareholders’ confirmation as a major milestone that brings clarity and certainty to the capital-raising process.

“The commitment letters from our shareholders give us the confidence to move forward with our capitalisation plans in line with the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act and other regulatory guidelines governing the insurance industry. We intend to leverage all available opportunities to raise the approved capital, and our existing shareholders should watch out for our rights issue as part of this process,” Shobo said.

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With shareholders’ support now formally documented, the company is set to actively pursue various funding options to achieve the approved capital raise. Lasaco Assurance plans to deploy a combination of market-based instruments, including a rights issue and other permissible fundraising structures, to ensure efficient and timely capital mobilisation.

Management noted that the shareholder commitments further underscore investor confidence in the company’s growth strategy, corporate governance framework, and long-term business outlook. The planned capital raise is expected to strengthen the company’s balance sheet, enhance its underwriting capacity, and provide greater flexibility for expansion across its core insurance business segments.

As part of the capitalisation process, existing shareholders have been advised to look out for the forthcoming rights issue, which will allow them to participate proportionately in the company’s capital expansion. Lasaco Assurance reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and full regulatory compliance throughout the fundraising exercise.

The company described the capitalisation drive as a strategic move aimed at sustaining competitiveness, improving risk-bearing capacity, and positioning Lasaco Assurance for long-term growth within Nigeria’s insurance market. The initiative also aligns with broader industry efforts to enhance financial resilience and safeguard policyholders’ interests.