The chairman of NEM Insurance Plc, Tope Smart, has promised a continuous commitment to insurance growth, even as he applauded the Nigerian Association of Insurance and Pension Editors(NAIPE) for deeming him deserving of an Award of Excellence.
Tope Smart is one of the five Awardees of the NAIPE Award of Excellence and Stewardship for the impact he made, not only in Nigeria but at the continental level as the past president of the African Insurance Organisation(AIO).
In addition to being the past group managing director/CEO of NEM Insurance Plc, Smart was also the past chairman of the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA), among other positions. In all these, Smart distinguished himself as an exceptional operator and a friend and supporter of insurance journalists.
While receiving the award, the 2025 NAIPE Conference Committee presented it to him. In his office in Obanikoro, Lagos, recently, Smart said, the accolade is a message for him to do more to ensure Insurance takes its rightful place in the national polity and discourse.
According to him, “I have a personal philosophy that what is worth doing is worth doing well. What shaped my perception was the derogatory image at which our Head of department in the University created about insurance companies in Nigeria then.
“He had highest regards for foreign insurers and disregard the local ones. From that moment, I decided that I must make a difference. So, when I joined the industry, I tried my best to be able to change the narrative.”
Referencing the NEM Building that has now become the face of Insurance on Ikorodu Road, he said, ‘The NEM building on Ikorodu Road, was built without any bank loan to the glory of God, and it has become the envy of others.’
While appreciating every member of NAIPE, he said, he and the group have come a long way together.
“I run a business, and I know it’s not easy to run a business. So, for you guys, especially those who run their media platforms, to be there with tenacity, despite all the struggles in the business operating environment, and still making a difference, it is commendable, and I will continue to support your projects in a joint effort to develop the insurance industry,” he pointed out.
On her part, the chairman of NAIPE, Nkechi Naeche Esezobor, appreciated the support and partnership of Tope Smart and his company, NEM Insurance, over the years, saying the group never took them for granted.
“This building (NEM Insurance) was what made many insurance companies start building big. Every company coming in is looking at doing what NEM did because you have challenged them.
“Your efforts can never be in vain. As an association, we feel it is good to recognise people when they are alive. We appreciate what you have done for the industry, and we felt we need to appreciate this feat in our 10th anniversary of organising our annual conference,” she noted.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the 2025 NAIPE Annual Conference, Roland Okoro, said Mr Tope Smart ticked all the boxes when assessing the personalities to be awarded, calling on him not to rest on his laurels towards deepening insurance acceptance, penetration and recognition.
