The Almond Insurance Industry Awards has unveiled seven nominees for the 2026 most valuable insurance customer of the year category.
The awards consultant, Prof. Olajide Fadun, disclosed this during a media briefing unveiling the nominees for different award categories in Lagos on Thursday,
Fadun said that the awards would recognise organisations that had demonstrated strong commitment to insurance adoption and risk management.
He listed the nominees as being Dangote Group, NNPC Ltd., Air Peace Ltd., the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), HiTech Construction Company Ltd., M.L. Lee Group of Companies and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Nigeria.
The consultant said the category was designed to recognise organisations that had consistently embraced insurance as an essential risk management tool.
Fadun said the nominees emerged after a rigorous screening process conducted by the Awards Panel of Judges, based on the established awards criteria.
He said the nomination exercise, which lasted one month, attracted entries from insurance companies, insurance brokers, corporate organisations, government agencies, individual clients and other insurance industry stakeholders.
Fadun said that after a rigorous screening process based on the awards criteria, 796 nominations qualified across the various categories.
According to him, although the figure is lower than the 914 nominations received in 2025, it reflects a more refined nomination process and stricter compliance with the awards guidelines.
“This year’s shortlist represents only deserving individuals and organisations that met the established criteria.
“The nominees cover companies in categories like general insurance, life insurance, insurance broking, insurance chief executives and insurance woman of the Year.
“Other categories from which nominees were taken are microinsurance company of the year, takaful insurance company, insurance broker and most valuable insurance customer of the year.
“Among the nominees for the most valuable insurance customer of the year are Dangote Group, NNPC Ltd., Air Peace Ltd., the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), HiTech Construction Company Ltd., M.L. Lee Group of Companies and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Nigeria,” he said.
Also speaking, the Secretary of the Almond Awards Panel of Judges, Dr Obinna Chilekezie, commended the inclusion of the CBN among the nominees, describing it as a positive signal for insurance penetration in Nigeria.
Chilekezie said many public institutions in Nigeria were yet to fully embrace insurance because of the belief that government assets could easily be replaced.
He noted that in spite of existing legal provisions requiring insurance for certain public assets, compliance remained low among many government organisations.
“I am particularly pleased to see an institution like the Central Bank of Nigeria among the nominees because it reflects confidence in insurance and demonstrates the importance of protecting valuable assets through insurance,” he said.
According to him, institutions operating in highly regulated sectors are more likely to appreciate the value of insurance due to the nature of their operations and regulatory requirements.
He explained that the selection of nominees was driven by public perception of their commitment to insurance and not by any intention to endorse or favour any organisation.
The secretary expressed optimism that recognising leading insurance customers would encourage more corporate organisations and public institutions to embrace insurance.
Mr Ogala Osoka, Chairman, Almond Insurance Industry Awards Panel of Judges, said winners in the various categories would emerge through a combination of public voting, judges’ assessment and industry data.
Osoka said public votes would account for 10 per cent of the total score, judges’ assessment another 10 per cent, while industry data would contribute the remaining 80 per cent.
He said the One-Time Password (OTP) verification system introduced during the previous edition would be retained to safeguard the credibility and integrity of the awards by preventing duplicate voting.
“Nominees, their clients, colleagues and members of the public are encouraged to participate in the free voting exercise through the awards’ official website: www.
“Both corporate organisations and individual customers would be eligible to cast one vote in each award category.
“Voting which began today, will close on Sept. 6 to enable the panel conclude its final assessment ahead of the 2026 Almond Insurance Industry Awards and Consumers’ Nite, scheduled to hold on Nov. 6 at The Stable Event Centre, Surulere in Lagos,” he said.
Meanwhile, commenting on the progress recorded so far, the Convener of the awards, Ms Kesiena Ughwode, said that the initiative had continued to gain industry acceptance since its inception.
Ughwode said it had served as a valuable marketing platform for insurance companies and professionals.
According to her, the number of nominations has grown significantly over the years, reflecting increasing interest in both the awards and the insurance industry.
She said the recognition had become a mark of excellence, with several previous winners showcasing the awards in their corporate profiles and promotional materials.
“For many winners, the award has become a marketing tool.
“Some companies proudly display their Almond Insurance Industry Awards recognition on their websites, while industry professionals also include the honour in their career profiles,” she said.
Ughwode noted that the growing participation each year had encouraged the organisers to introduce measures aimed at strengthening the credibility and transparency of the awards process.
She said maintaining the integrity of the awards remained a top priority for the organisers.
Speaking on the long-term vision of the initiative, Ughwode said the awards were designed not only to recognise excellence but also to promote greater awareness and understanding of insurance among Nigerians. (NAN)
