By Henry Uche
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) is set to receive the 2026 Special Recognition Award for its growing impact on Nigeria’s health insurance market, particularly its efforts to expand coverage, deepen industry participation and make health insurance more accessible to Nigerians.
NHIA will be honoured by Almond Productions Limited on November 6 at the Stable Event Centre, Surulere, Lagos, during the annual Almond Insurance Industry Awards and Consumers’ Nite.
The CEO of Almond Productions Limited, Ms Faith Ughwode, said the ceremony, instituted in 2018, aims to recognise and reward outstanding efforts of men and women across the different arms of the insurance industry value chain who work tirelessly to promote and sell insurance, often in challenging circumstances, as well as companies and institutions in the insurance ecosystem that are leading change in their operations and delivering value to Nigerians.
Similarly, an insurance doyen, Mr Opeoluwa Emmanuel Oredugba, will receive the Insurance Life Achievers Award for his numerous contributions to the growth and development of the sector.
While insurance awareness and penetration remain low, players in the sector are putting in more work to make more Nigerians see and appreciate the value of insurance through health insurance, life insurance, agricultural insurance, annuity and general insurance products.
“In line with the tradition of the annual awards to celebrate icons and industry leaders in their lifetime, Mr Opeoluwa Emmanuel Oredugba will be honoured with the 2026 Insurance Life Achievers Award for his over four decades of impact in the insurance industry.”
“Mr Oredugba’s numerous contributions to the growth and development of the Nigerian and indeed the West African insurance space are incredibly vast and significant. Chief of them is his introduction of Takaful or Islamic insurance in the sector in 2002.”
“While the NHIA is being recognised this year for the significant reforms and interventions under its current leadership that have contributed to the expansion of health insurance coverage with over 20 million Nigerians reached within the last two years.”
Ughwode maintains that the leadership of the NHIA has demonstrated a strong commitment to expanding access to health insurance, improving the effectiveness of the healthcare financing system and ensuring that more Nigerians can now benefit from financial protection against healthcare-related costs.
The 2026 edition of the awards, tagged ‘#Reemergence’, will parade top-rated performances from MC Asoro, Laugh Doctor, Samba Comedian and a host of others. Music headliner this year is Reminisce aka Alaga Ibile and Marvellous Benjy. Awards host this year is Steve Onu, popularly known as Yaw Naija.
Also expected as guest presenters at the awards are Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe, MD/CEO Bomarah Group, Hajia Bola Muse, President, ICAN, Queensley Sofuratu Seghosime, Prof. Jacinta Opara, Vice-Chancellor, Dominican University, and a host of other dignitaries.
The shortlisted categories this year under voting categories are: Insurance CEO of the Year; Insurance Woman of the Year (Insurer or Broker); Life Insurance Company of the Year; General Insurance Company of the Year; Insurance Broker of the Year; Insurance Broking Company of the Year.
Others are: Takaful Company of the Year; Micro Insurance Company of the Year; Most Valuable Insurance Customer of the Year.
Non-voting categories are: Insurance Life Achievers Award (Insurer or Broker), and Special Recognition Award 2026 (Within and Outside the Industry).
“The unprecedented number of votes recorded this year is a growing testament to the awards’ integrity and popularity amongst stakeholders,” Ughwode affirms.
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