50% Of Nigerian Vehicles Are In Lagos, Kano – Thomas

KANO - Of the 13 million vehicles on Nigerian roads, about 50 per cent of them, representing 6.5 million, are in Lagos and Kano states, the two commercial nerve centres of the country.

While Lagos is the commercial hub of the country, Kano State is the commercial centre of the northern part of the country.

Speaking during a courtesy visit by the officials of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) to the governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, in the state recently, the commissioner for insurance, Mr. Sunday Thomas, said Kano was leading in many fronts in the country, stressing that Kano and Lagos states alone have almost more than 50 per cent of vehicles plying the Nigerian roads.

While persuading the state government to partner with the insurance industry in a bid to insure all vehicles in the state, he added that this will significantly impact on the Internal Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state even as it will equally boost revenue of all stakeholders.

Speaking further, he said: “The issue of collapsed buildings has continued to be one of the problems in our big and major cities in the country that seems to have defied solutions and checks put in place by the authorities.

“The commission is collaborating with some federal agencies like the Fire Service, Police and relevant professional associations like COREN to ensure provisions of the law regarding the insurance of public buildings against 3rd party liability and all buildings under construction that are above 2 floors are strictly adhered to.”

While soliciting for the cooperation of Kano State governor to work closely with the insurance sector on adoption and enforcement of insurance to ensure safety and protection of lives and properties in Kano State, he noted that NAICOM was planning to organize a one-day sensitisation workshop for permanent secretaries and directors of all MDAs in the state in order to sensitize them on the need and benefit to adequately protect and insure strategic government assets and human resources.

“I want to use this opportunity to seek for the Kano State Government’s assistance in the implementation of compulsory insurances. The commission is in talks with stakeholders to ensure that enforcement commences in earnest for all classes of compulsory insurance across the country,” he said.

Governor Ganduje, however, commended the commission for its effort to develop the insurance sector while urging the industry to do more in gaining public confidence and improving public perception of the industry.

The governor also granted the requests of the NAICOM and directed that a strong committee be constituted immediately to look at the aspects of the implementation of compulsory insurance as well as working with the legislative arm on domesticating the insurance laws in the state.