African insurance leaders push innovation, digital reach for growth

Industry leaders at the 52nd African Insurance Organisation (AIO) Conference have called for bold regulatory reforms and digital innovation to close Africa’s insurance protection gap and unlock inclusive economic growth across the continent.

Participating in a high-level panel discussion, Olusegun Ayo Omosehin, Commissioner for insurance/CEO of Nigeria’s National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), emphasised that Africa’s low insurance penetration represents a multi-billion-dollar opportunity rather than a limitation.

Despite the recorded gap in Africa’s insurance penetration, the continent already commands an estimated $68 billion premium pool, signalling strong underlying demand where access exists.

“The gap is not about willingness to pay—it is about our ability to design and distribute products that reach people where they are,” Omosehin stated.

A key theme of the discussion was that distribution failure, not lack of demand, is the primary driver of low insurance penetration. Traditional agent-based models fail to reach up to 90 percent of the addressable population, particularly in rural and informal sectors.

Panellists emphasised that scaling insurance across Africa requires a shift to mobile-first distribution, embedded insurance models, community-based delivery channels and digital infrastructure unlocking access.

Africa’s rapidly expanding digital ecosystem is enabling this transformation with over 500 million mobile subscribers and more than 350 million mobile wallets. These platforms provide ready-made infrastructure for low-cost, scalable insurance distribution and claims payments.

The panel highlighted the importance of regulatory evolution in unlocking growth, particularly transitioning from rule-based to principles-based supervision, implementing risk-based capital frameworks, and expanding regulatory sandboxes for innovation

Nigeria’s NIIRA 2025 reform agenda was cited as a leading example, promoting flexibility, innovation, and proportional oversight.

Omosehin, in his proposal to the challenge of balancing innovation with consumer protection, expressed that whilst technology such as AI and blockchain is driving efficiency, he cautioned on emerging risks including data privacy, cybersecurity threats, and algorithmic bias. Et cetera.

As a result, consumer protection and trust building were identified as critical to scaling adoption. “Innovation and consumer protection are not opposing forces; they are mutually reinforcing,” the panel emphasised.

The session concluded with a call for coordinated action across regulators, insurers, and technology providers to achieve at least 3–5 percent insurance penetration within the next 5–7 years, expanded access to financial protection for underserved populations, and greater economic resilience across African economies