Insurance firm, Dive In, is celebrating its fifth year anniversary with an event that promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) in the insurance industry. At the event, eminent business leaders and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) specialists gathered to discuss the critical role of intersectionality in business and the need to eliminate biases and develop an inclusive culture across the Nigerian business sector in order to promote innovation.
The Aon-sponsored “Driving Innovation in Insurance” virtual event, which took place on Tuesday, September 26th, is now accessible to view on the Dive In website until the end of October. Notably, The Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) and other global institutes have CPD accredited and recognized the event, allowing spectators to earn CPD hours.
The festival featured noteworthy speakers such as Richard Leftley, a distinguished digital insurance pioneer and consultant at the International Finance Council, Fortunate Anozie, Founder of Unyte Africa, and Adebowale Banjo, Co-Founder of MyCover.ai. Temi Badru, a lawyer and award-winning public speaker, moderated the event.
With his keynote speech, Richard Leftley sparked debate. He stressed the critical importance of fairness, diversity, and inclusion in devising new ways to close the coverage gap for Nigeria’s majority of uninsured citizens.
Leftley’s professional path, from traditional insurance methods to ground-breaking digital solutions, demonstrated the importance of adaptation across broad populations in breaking down traditional barriers. “A greater commitment to diversity and inclusion is essential to building a resilient insurance industry, particularly in developing economies,” Leftley emphasized.
Insurance is purchased by less than 1% of the Nigerian population. We must use technology to create innovative solutions that help the excluded group. “Digital platforms can assist in reaching a larger population of the excluded with insurance services more quickly.” In a diverse nation such as Nigeria, digital insurance provides a possibility to reach thousands of the excluded.”
Anozie, for his part, echoed same concerns. “It is critical for organizations to promote workplace equity, diversity, and inclusion.”
Temi Badru charged Nigerian insurance firms to embrace diverse voices to fuel innovation and sector growth. “As we make a case for change in the acceptance of intersecting perspectives, and promote the concept of diversity and inclusion, we will see an era of great change. As such we encourage you to go to your organisations, start conversations, ask questions, and think about the steps you can take to embrace diverse perspectives for a more inclusive workplace and drive innovation and growth.”
Speaking about the success of Dive In Nigeria, Mary Alade, Chief Strategy Officer at Aon Reinsurance Solutions, said, “Aon is proud to be the continued sponsor for Dive In Nigeria. In our fifth year, we’ve explored subjects ranging from gender diversity to generational working and mental wellness. The insurance business must adapt quickly as the global economy undergoes tremendous changes. As a result, we knew now was the ideal time for employers to recognize and capitalize on the strength of Nigeria’s diverse population to promote innovation, provide comprehensive coverage, assure equal access to insurance, and drive sector growth. We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback so far, and we’re hoping that this event will spark more discussions among Nigerian and worldwide businesses.”
Dive In, which has grown rapidly since its debut in 2015, continues to cross geographical divides by merging virtual and physical activities. The event covers a wide range of DE&I subjects, such as non-visible disability, mental health, religious equality, LGBT+ inclusivity, ageism, and professional social mobility. It gathered 34,000 attendees from 40 countries to 150 events in 2022.
AIG, Allied World Assurance, Aon, Arch, Aviva, AXA XL, Axis Capital, BMS, Chubb, CNA Hardy, DLA Piper, Everest, Gallagher, Howden, Kennedys, Liberty Mutual, Lloyd’s, Markel, Marsh, Moody’s, Munich Re, RenRe, SCOR, Sompo, Tokio Marine Kiln, Travelers, WTW were Global Festival Partners.
