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World Bank, IMF to Undertake Joint Action Plan On Debt Reduction For IDA Countries

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The World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF), have proposed to undertake a joint action plan on debt reduction for the most indebted International Development Association (IDA) countries.

Mr David Malpass, the President, the World Bank Group, said this on Wednesday during a virtual meeting with the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors at the ongoing IMF/World Bank annual meetings in at Washington D. C.

Malpass said that it was urgent to make rapid progress on a framework because the risk of disorderly defaults was rising.

He said that the bank’s latest economic and poverty data showed that desperate inequality was being caused by the COVID pandemic and economic shutdowns.

“The recession in advanced economies is less severe than had been feared but in most developing economies, it has become a depression, especially for the poorest and extreme poverty may rise by 150 million by 2021.

“Soon after our spring meetings, we were able to launch health emergency programmes in 111 countries and began a surge in our grants and highly concessional lending that will reach the limits of our capital structure and commitment authority.

“As part of this effort, we expect to provide over 50 billion dollars in grants or highly concessional credits by June 2021, helping provide large net positive flows to the poorest and most fragile countries and people.”

The president recalled that in March, the G20 endorsed a vital debt relief programme for the poorest countries, giving people a ray of hope.

He said that the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) helped increase fiscal resources for over 40 countries and created more transparency on the overwhelming debt burden.

According to him, the goals for debt relief are fiscal savings for the poorest countries, greater debt transparency and a path forward for countries in debt distress.

“We are making progress but not nearly enough. The DSSI extension being agreed today is welcome and the term sheet has been strengthened in important ways.

“However, some core DSSI-related problems are still unresolved, notably a lack of participation by private creditors and incomplete participation by some official bilateral creditors.

“The bigger challenge is the need to look beyond DSSI. It is important to note that the DSSI defers payments into the future but doesn’t reduce them.

“Interest charges compound quickly on the deferred amounts, leaving countries with even more debt.

“The DSSI has been a stopgap to provide fiscal resources and greater transparency while a longer-term solution for the debt crisis can be developed,” he said.

Malpass said that the tendency in past debt crises was for countries in debt distress to go through a series of “ineffective debt reschedulings that leaves them weaker’.

He said that creditors might eventually allow them to get to a debt reduction process but at a tremendous cost to the poor, adding that they needed to work better and faster this time.

“On a positive note, I am happy to announce that yesterday afternoon, our board approved a package of up to 12 billion dollars to expand and fast-track COVID response for the purchase and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments.

“The scale of the challenges ahead is staggering, so we need to do more. With the strong support of its shareholders, IDA has frontloaded IDA-19 resources to the fullest possible extent as a key part of the surge in our commitments this fiscal year.”

He, however said that IDA lending would have to decline in the next two years even though the latest forecasts, including those just announced by the IMF, suggests that the reduction in economic activity would extend well into subsequent years.

Malpass said that the bank was proposing to IDA deputies later in October, a 25 billion dollar supplemental COVID Emergency Financing Package.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the IDA, a member of the World Bank Group, is an international financial institution with 173 member countries.

It offers concessional loans and grants to the world’s poorest developing countries.

The 2020 Annual Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group holding in Washington D. C. began on Oct. 12 and will end on Dec. 16. (NAN)

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NIA Strives To Simplify Claims Payment

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By Sola Alabadan

The Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) is working to simplify the claims payment process and enhance customer service, with a focus on prompt payment of claims and ease of onboarding insurance customers

NIA Chairman, Mr. Kunle Ahmed, stated this in Lagos during the maiden Insurance Week, with a call to action for Nigerians to embrace insurance.

The week-long event with the theme, “Insurance For All: Securing Nigeria’s Future,” was organised by the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) under the leadership of the Institute’s President, Mrs. Yetunde Ilori, to create awareness about the various services and products offered by insurance companies.

The NIA boss said that the insurance week is for the insuring public and intending clients, hence insurers have come up with new products for their customers.

He said: “this week, all insurance practitioners are focused on activities that will further create awareness for the insurance industry, including prompt claims payment, insurance products, ease of onboarding insurance customers and general awareness.

The NIA Chairman also urged Nigerians to consider purchasing insurance products to secure their future.

He added that all arms of the industry is fully partcipating in the Insurance Week programme to increase insurance penetration and provide Nigerians with the protection they needed.

The NIA Chairman, cited the industry’s payment of N622 billion claims to customers in 2024 as an testament of its effectiveness and reliability.

Ahmed advised those with issues with insurance companies to reach out to the NIA or the CIIN for assistance.

He assured the public that the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) is committed to protecting the rights and interests of clients.

“With a vibrant regulatory framework in place, the industry is working to ensure that insurance companies operate efficiently and effectively,”the NIA Chairman said.

Other dignitaries at the event included : Mr. Olusegun Omosehin, Commissioner For Insurance, Mr Eddie Efekoha, Chairman, Organising Planning Committee of the maiden Insurance Week, Prince Babatunde Oguntade, President, NCRIB, Mr Tope Smart, Chairman, NEM Insurance,among others.

The Insurance Week which began on Saturday, June 28, 2025 with the Insurance Awareness Walk, would continue on Tuesday with the Insurance Awareness Campaigns at Secondary Schools and MSMEs.

An Insurance Outreach would take place on Wednesday at major markets and stores, while an Hackathon competition would hold at CIFM, Asese on Thursday, where young minds, students, and professionals will come together to develop bespoke insurance products that meet the needs of customers.

On Friday would be the grand finale of the programme to recognise and award practitioners in the industry who have contributed significantly to promoting insurance in Nigeria.

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CIIN Takes Insurance Education To Markets, Malls In Lagos

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The Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) recently organised Community Outreach and Roadshow in Lagos, as part of its broader mission to deepen insurance awareness and improve financial literacy among everyday Nigerians.

Held across key commercial hubs in Lagos, the roadshow made impactful stops at Sabo, Bariga, Oyingbo Market, Shoprite Ikeja, and SPAR Tejuosho, where the public was engaged on the relevance of insurance in everyday life.
Through vibrant street activations, interactive sessions, and one-on-one engagements, the initiative focused on demystifying insurance and breaking down its benefits in relatable terms.

At each location, insurance practitioners were on hand to share insights, answer questions, and distribute informative materials that addressed common misconceptions about insurance and highlighted the ease of access to insurance products tailored for individuals, traders, and small businesses.

The community outreach was part of the programmes lined up for the Insurance Week with the theme, “Insurance For All: Securing Nigeria’s Future”.
The one week long event was organised by the CIIN under the leadership of the Institute’s President, Mrs. Yetunde Ilori, to create awareness about the various services and products offered by insurance companies.

Speaking on the initiative, the Head of Brands and Event, Rex Insurance, Emmanuel Ndoh noted: “Insurance is not a luxury; it’s a necessity. We are proud to be part of this collaborative effort with CIIN to take insurance education directly to the people—where they live, shop, and work. Our goal is to build trust and show that with Rex Insurance, you’re not alone.”

This outreach effort is part of the programmes of the Insurance Week organised by the nation’s insurance industry to make insurance simpler, more accessible, inclusive and become a household name in the country.

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Universal Insurance, NHIA, PTAD, Rite Foods, Sponsor NAIPE 2025 AGM

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The Universal Insurance Plc, National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), as well as Rite Foods Limited, will be sponsoring the 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigerian Association of Insurance and Pension Editors (NAIPE) on July 8 in Lagos.
NAIPE is the umbrella body for journalists covering insurance and pension sectors in Nigeria.
Companies that sponsor the AGM have the unique opportunity to market their products and services to NAIPE members during the event who will in-turn push out the information to the general public through publication of stories and analysis in their mediums and platforms.
Stories generated from the event will be in the media for over one month.
The Universal Insurance Plc is one of the nation’s largest personal lines insurer with over N8 billion in assets, selling eight major lines of insurance, including auto, property and commercial.
Universal Insurance offers a broad spectrum of insurance products for all types of businesses, corporate and individuals with unique services delivery.
According to Universal Insurance Plc, “Our vision is to be a dominant, specialised non life insurer in Nigeria, creating and delivering value to stakeholders while our mission is to offer specialised non life insurance protection to clients inspired by innovation, efficiency and prompt claims settlement.”
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) was established under the National Health Insurance Act which was signed into law on 19 May 2022, replacing the National Health Insurance Scheme Act of 1999.
As of today, data shows that about 20 million Nigerians are covered by the scheme.
NHIA offers several benefits, including financial protection against high medical costs, access to quality healthcare services, and a comprehensive benefits package that covers a wide range of medical needs.
Meanwhile, the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD) was established in 2013 and drawing its mandate from the Pension Reform Act of 2014, PTAD was tasked with consolidating and managing pensions under the Defined Benefit Scheme (DBS) for pensioners who retired on or before June 30, 2007 and did not transit to the Contributory Pension scheme.
PTAD has marked a significant milestone of revolutionising Nigeria’s public sector pension administrative system.
When the Directorate was created, it inherited a host of challenges that had long plagued the legacy pension offices. These offices, comprising the Police, Customs, Immigration, Prisons, and the Civil Service, as well as the Boards of Trustees of Treasury funded Parastatals, Universities and Research Institutions and Agencies, were historically managed in a fragmented, inefficient, and underfunded manner. By 2004, this mismanagement had culminated in pension liabilities exceeding N2 trillion.
At the helm of affairs of the Directorate is the Executive Secretary, Tolulope Abiodun Odunaiya, a dynamic and results-oriented professional with a proven track record of managing complex workflows and consistently driving measurable outcomes. She was appointed to the position in November 2024, by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Rite Foods Limited is the producer of Bigi Drinks, Fearless Energy Drinks, Sosa Fruit Drinks, and Rite and Bigi Sausage Rolls.
The company ably led by managing director/CEO, Mr. Seleem Adegunwa, believes in the power of innovation and its potential to change the recycling business.
As Nigeria’s top food and beverage manufacturer, it said: “we are committed to helping recyclers to adopt cutting-edge techniques to recycling plastic trash, particularly in coastal areas, among other Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.”

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