By Bisi Bamishe
Mr. Tope Smart, Group Chairman, NEM Insurance Group will deliver the Keynote Paper at the Business Journal Insurance & Pension Roundtable 2026 scheduled for Tuesday, November 24, 2026 at Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Time is 10.00am prompt.
The theme of the Roundtable is: “Beyond Recapitalisation: The Challenge of Customer Service & Growth for Insurance and Pension Operators.”
Mr. Tope Smart is the Group Chairman of NEM Insurance Group.
A graduate and an award winner from the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Tope Smart also holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).
He is an Associate member of both the Chartered Insurance Institute of London (CIIL) and the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN). Tope, an astute professional, believes very strongly in the entrenchment of insurance in the minds of all Africans.
He is an unrepentant advocate for a better and stronger insurance sector in Africa.
He is a Council Member, Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria, Council Member, West African Insurance Companies Association (Ghana), Council Member, Nigeria-Britain Association, Member of Senate, University of Lagos and past Chairman of Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA).
Tope is a past President of the African Insurance Organisation (AIO). During his presidency, AIO witnessed phenomenal growth and increased visibility as a result of several initiatives introduced by him.
He is presently the Chairman, Alpha Morgan Bank Limited; Chairman, NEM Health Limited; Chairman, NEM Asset Management Limited and Vice-Chairman, AIO Foundation, amongst others.
In 2014, he was appointed by the Federal Government as Co-Chairman of the Insurance Industry Transformation Committee. He was also recently appointed Chairman, Planning Committee of the University of Lagos Alumni Association’s Golden Jubilee Anniversary.
In recognition of his outstanding achievements, Tope has won several awards among which are Distinguished Alumnus by the University of Lagos and University of Lagos Alumni Association Golden Jubilee Special Recognition Award amongst others.
Tope is the winner of Year 2023 (Almond Insurance Industry Award) Insurance CEO of the Year. He is also a two-time winner of the BusinessDay Top 25 CEOs award.
He is an alumnus of the Harvard Business School (HBS).
• SPECIAL GUESTS OF HONOUR:
• Mr. Olusegun Omosehin, Commissioner for Insurance/CEO, National Insurance Commission (NAICOM)
• Ms. Omolola Oloworaran, Director-General, National Pension Commission (PenCom)
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
• Mr. Tope Smart, Group Chairman, NEM Insurance Group
GUESTS OF HONOUR:
• Mr. Jide Orimolade, President/Chairman of Council, CIIN
• Mrs. Anthonia Ifeanyi-Okoro, CEO, PenOp
• Mrs. Ebelechukwu Nwachukwu, Chairman, NIA
• Mrs. Ekeoma Ezeibe, President/Chairman of Council, NCRIB
Distinguished Members of Panel:
• Mr. Adedayo Arowojolu, Managing Director/CEO, Unitrust Insurance Company Limited
• Mr. Ivo Takor (mni), Pension Industry Activist/Expert
• Mrs. Felicia Bolajoko David, Managing Director/CEO, Alliance & General Insurance Plc
In his reaction, Prince Cookey, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, Business Journal Media Group said:
“Mr. Tope Smart is a respected figure and role model in the insurance industry in Nigeria, West Africa and Africa. We are privileged to have him as Keynote Speaker for the Business Journal Insurance & Pension Roundtable 2026. He has equally contributed to national development through various Federal appointments, as well as serving in various capacities at his alma mater, the University of Lagos (UNILAG). As past President of the African Insurance Organisation (AIO), he contributed immensely to the rapid development and growth of insurance business in Africa. Tope Smart and NEM Insurance Group remains one of the key partners of the insurance media, year in, year out. An astute professional, he represents the face of the market in terms of professionalism, integrity and passion for the insurance sector in Nigeria and Africa.”
Cookey said successful conclusion of the recapitalisation exercise in the insurance sector on Friday, July 31, 2026 has invigorated the sector, not only in terms of capital but also in terms of positive perception of the industry by the insuring public.
He said the same energy of expected new capital and optimism will also be evident after the ongoing recapitalisation process in the pension sector initiated by the National Pension Commission (PenCom) with a compliance deadline of June 2027 for Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) and Pension Fund Custodians (PFCs).
Beyond capitalisation, the two markets also need to address two critical and fundamental issues:
• How will insurers and pension operators deploy their new capital for better customer service and growth?
• How ready are insurers and pension operators for the market challenges of post-presidential election 2027?
The Business Journal Publisher added that the outcome of the presidential election on January 16, 2027 could have profound impact on insurance firms and pension operators in terms of policy framework and operating environment, far beyond the issue of capital.
The objective of the Business Journal Insurance & Pension Roundtable 2026 is to generate public awareness for the insurance and pension sectors and to draw a roadmap for the operators in terms of market visibility, customer service, sustainable growth and contribution to the national economy going forward.
