By David Akinmola
As Nigeria’s insurance industry struggles to deepen public confidence and expand coverage, emPLE General Insurance and emPLE Life Assurance have identified customer experience, prompt claims support and stronger broker relationships as key to winning policyholders’ trust and driving market growth.
The companies made the observation at the weekend in Lagos, when they recognised employees and brokers and rewarded loyal retail policyholders.
Under the theme, The Extra Mile,focused on the role of service delivery in strengthening relationships between insurers, intermediaries and customers, amid the industry’s longstanding challenge of improving public confidence and expanding insurance penetration.
The Managing Director of emPLE General Insurance, Olalekan Oyinlade, said customer experience could distinguish insurers in a market where products and prices were often similar.
He said consistent service, from policy purchase to customer support and claims settlement, was essential to building trust and maintaining long-term relationships with policyholders.
Oyinlade added that brokers and retail customers remained central to the company’s operations, stressing the need for insurers to deliver reliability and value to both groups.
Similarly, the Managing Director of emPLE Life Assurance, Jolaolu Fakoya, said customer service should not be treated as a standalone function but integrated into product design, communication, policy administration, claims and customer support.
According to him, coordination across these functions could improve service consistency, strengthen confidence and support sustainable business growth.
The Head of Marketing and Customer Experience at emPLE Life Assurance, Rachel Owolabi, said every interaction between an insurer and its customers influenced how the company was perceived.
She identified accountability, empathy, prompt follow-up and the resolution of customer concerns as important elements of effective service delivery.
The companies’ recognition of brokers and retail policyholders during the week also underscored the importance of distribution channels and customer retention to insurance business development.
Brokers play a significant role in connecting insurers with customers, explaining policy terms and supporting transactions, while the quality of policy administration and claims handling can influence whether customers renew their cover or recommend insurance to others.
For the wider industry, improving customer experience remains important to addressing concerns about the value of insurance, particularly where policyholders’ perceptions are shaped by delays in service delivery or uncertainty over claims.
