CAMCONIA chairman solicits partnership with NAIPE 

The Newly elected Chairman of Corporate Affairs Managers Committee of the Nigerian Insurers Association (CAMCONIA), Mr Segun Bankole, has solicited the cooperation, support and partnership of members of the Nigerian Association of Insurance and Pension Editors (NAIPE) with CAMCONIA to achieve its mandate.

The CAMCONIA Chairman who is also the Deputy General Manager, Corporate Communications & Investor Relations, Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc, made the appeal during a special hangout with NAIPE executives and select members of the association in Lagos at the weekend.

Segun Bankole, Chairman, CAMCONIA (8th from left 1st row) with Ifesinachi Okpagu, Vice Chairman (5th from right), flanked left and right by members of CAMCONIA at the inaugural meeting for year 2024, at the NIA Secretariat, Victoria Island, Lagos.

While commending NAIPE Members for their support and collaboration over the years, Mr Bankole appealed for the Journalists to support his tenure as a CAMCONIA Chairman to succeed and contribute to the growth of the industry.

“I need the media community to make me excel, make the industry shine. That is basically what prompted my decision that let me have a hang-out with my people.

“Thank you all for the collaboration and partnership over the years. I joined Sovereign Trust Insurance in 2007, and from then till now you guys have not for one day let me down. I just said, in a very convivial way, not all about work and work, let us have time to also relax, and share very lovely moments and that is basically why we are here.

“I am also happy that we are now one united family, that for me is a big thing, and good enough your coming back together brought me as a Chairman of CAMCONIA and I know that I cannot do it alone. I need the media community to make me excel, to make the industry shine, and become great. That is basically what prompted my decision that let’s have a hang-out with my people.

“This is just to say thank you. We are in 2024, we will not agree to any bad thing. Together we will make the industry thrive and flourish because we need that relevance in the financial sector.

“Over the years you guys have done so well in terms of insurance and pension reporting and it can only get better because there is always room for improvement. We will all work together and I promise you that this 2024, it is going to be a different me. It is going to be a different relationship with NAIPE.

Thank you so much for honouring my invitation despite your tight schedules. May God continue to keep our relationship together in one big united family,” Mr Bankole prayed.

NAIPE members also spoke on the attitude of some Corporate Communication Managers of some insurance companies whom they said have turned themselves to ‘Semi-gods’ even refusing to answer their calls or respond to text messages.

They urged CAMCONIA leadership to talk to their members about the need for them to see themselves as gateway/liaison officers to journalists not the other way.

They also noted that it is easier for them to speak to the Managing Director of an insurance firm for an appointment than speak with a Corporate Communication Manager.

“You see when you talk about relationships, it should be mutually beneficial – I help you to do your job, you also help me to do my job. We need the cooperation of your members. Take this message to your members. It is easier as a journalist to reach out to an Executive or the MD of an insurance company for any appointment than to reach out to some Corporate Affairs or Corporate Communication Managers because they see themselves as ‘semi-gods’. You will call somebody or send a text message even though you want to ask them about an issue concerning their company; they will snub your call and will not respond to your text message. At the end of the day, when trouble comes, they will turn around and blame the journalist. This shouldn’t be. Tell them that we need them to come on board for us to work together as true partners in this business,” said an NAIPE member.

The Chairperson of NAIPE, Mrs Nkeche Naeche-Esezobor, congratulated Mr. Bankole on his election as CAMCONIA President and called on NAIPE members to support him.

“We already know who Bankole is. He is a friend of the house. Anyway, we can support him, please let’s do so, not only for him to succeed as a CAMCONIA Chairman, but for the growth of the insurance industry we are covering.

“If you look at the crop of the new leaders, you will agree with me that they are all professionals – people who have distinguished themselves in their field as Marketing/Corporate Communication experts.

“We know that whatever CAMCONIA has been doing before, this time a lot is going to change, not only in terms of sending stories alone for us to publish but also in supporting our activities as an Association.

“We will do our best to support CAMCONIA during your tenure. Always inform us about your programmes and activities. If we cannot come physically, we will use the story. I know Bankole will take our message to his members,” NAIPE Chairperson stated.