The Kaduna Business Manager of Veritas Kapital Assurance Plc, Peter Yamai, has stressed the need to encourage Nigerian youths in the study of insurance as a tool for nation development.
According to Yamai, the importance of insurance for the development of the country could not be overemphasised.
Yamai stated this while presenting an award to a 22-year-old female student of the Ahmadu Bello University, Tonica Ehidiamen-Ton, who came third in a quiz competition organised by the insurance firm for undergraduates of insurance-related courses in Nigerian universities.
Ehidiamen-Ton, a 400-level female student of the Department of Insurance and Actuarial Science of the ABU, won a cash prize of N100,000.
Yamai, who spoke to The PUNCH in Kaduna on Wednesday, underscored the importance of insurance to Nigeria saying it was imperative for organisations to work towards the development of the course in various institutions of higher learning.
Yamai also said some organisations in the actuarial sector had taken it upon themselves to groom the youth for the socio-economic development of the country.
“So, the management thought it wise to encourage our young ones studying insurance. We want to encourage the youth to equally study insurance in Nigeria.
“Our firm has it as a culture of giving back to society where we operate as our corporate social responsibility.
“The organisation wrote to various universities to give us their best students in insurance which they did. They gave their best with the highest CGP in the various schools to participate in the quiz which was virtual interaction.
“At the end of all the processes, we got three outstanding universities. The first position went to University of Lagos, the second position to University of Ado Ekiti while the third runner-up went to the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
“The first position prize money is N200,000 and the second position is N150,000 while the third position gets N100,000. It’s going to be an annual event and the prize money will certainly increase as time goes on,” he said.
An elated Ehidiamen-Ton, who has a Cummulative Grade Point of 4.60, thanked the firm for giving her the opportunity to showcase herself in her chosen career.
“I am from Edo State; a 400 level student of the Department of Insurance and Actuarial Science of Ahmadu Bello Unibersity, Zaria in Kaduna State. Initially, I applied for accounting but I was given insurance. Although at first I wasn’t happy about it, it later turned out to be a nice course. There’s no day that I don’t thank God for taking insurance as a course,” she said.
