The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Universal Insurance Plc, Dr. Jeff Duru, has been announced as chairman of the 2026 edition of the SUPERNEWS Annual Conference and 10th Anniversary celebration scheduled to hold on July 7 in Lagos.
SUPERNEWS Nigeria also disclosed that the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Royal Exchange Plc, Mrs. Idu Okeahialam, will deliver the keynote address at the conference, which is now in its fourth edition.
The conference, themed “Local Content and Digitisation: Building Synergy Between Oil and Gas and Insurance Sectors for Inclusive Growth,” is slated to take place at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
According to the organisers, the event is expected to bring together regulators, industry operators, chief executives, policymakers, civil society organisations, media practitioners, students and other stakeholders to discuss issues affecting the insurance and oil and gas sectors.
The Commissioner for Insurance and Chief Executive Officer of the National Insurance Commission, Mr. Olusegun Ayo Omosehin, is expected to attend as Special Guest of Honour, while the President of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers, Mrs. Ekeoma Ezeibe, will also participate in the event.
Other speakers billed for the conference include Mr. Akinjide Orimolade, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Stanbic IBTC Insurance; Mr. Ademola Abidogun, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Guinea Insurance Plc; Mrs. Nneka Obi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Deepshores Energy Limited; and Prof. Olajide Fadun of the Department of Insurance and Actuarial Science, University of Lagos.
Speaking on the choice of the conference theme, Publisher of SUPERNEWS Nigeria and convener of the event, Ngozi Onyeakusi, said the conference is designed to provide insights into how the oil and gas and insurance sectors can leverage technology-driven solutions to strengthen collaboration and address challenges associated with implementing Sections 49 and 50 of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act.
She explained that the provisions require operators in the oil and gas industry to ensure that all insurable risks relating to their operations are covered by insurance companies and brokers registered in Nigeria.
According to her, the law also stipulates that operators seeking to place insurable risks offshore must first obtain written approval from NAICOM, which must be satisfied that local insurance capacity has been fully exhausted before granting such approval.
Onyeakusi noted that the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board and NAICOM introduced implementation guidelines in 2022 to address identified gaps in the enforcement of the local content provisions.
She added that despite the regulatory interventions, insurance companies have continued to face challenges, including inadequate capital. However, she expressed optimism that the enactment of the Nigeria Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA) 2025 and the ongoing recapitalisation exercise would strengthen the industry’s capacity and position Nigerian insurers for global competitiveness.
According to the organisers, the conference will provide a platform for stakeholders to deliberate on how digitisation, policy reforms and effective implementation of local content guidelines can foster inclusive growth and sustainable partnerships between the oil and gas and insurance sectors.
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