The Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) has commenced a two-day training workshop for underwriters on the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA) 2025.

According to a statement from NIA, the training is focused on Sections 75 and 76, as well as the Compulsory Container Insurance scheme.

The workshop, which began on Thursday, is scheduled to end on Friday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no fewer than 40 underwriters involved in container insurance, were participating in the training held at the Insurers House, Victoria Island, Lagos.

At the opening of the workshop, Director-General of the NIA, Mrs Bola Odukale, said that insurance remained a critical pillar of national development and economic stability.

Odukale noted that a well-regulated and legally backed insurance industry, was essential for economic growth, investor confidence and the protection of the public.

She urged participants to engage actively in the sessions, adding that the training would strengthen professional capacity and improve effective implementation of compulsory insurance provisions for the overall benefit of the economy.

NAN reports that facilitators at the workshop include: Mrs Margaret Ogbonnah, Director at the Nigerian Shippers’ Council; Mr Soji Oni, Controller 1, Technical, NIA, Mr Owolabi Longe, Chief Executive Officer of Ironlink Communications, among others. 

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) says it is committed to implementing Improved Integrated Management System (IMS) to ensure operational excellence.

The Managing Director of the authority, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku, gave the assurance in an IMS Policy Statement made available to newsmen in Lagos on Thursday.

Kuku said that the implementation would boost stakeholder satisfaction, maintain highest standards of safety and operational integrity, and proactively identify, manage and eliminate risks while delivering  world‑class services.

She  said that FAAN was committed to integrating quality, health, safety and environment  in doing business and  ensuring that Nigerian airports and FAAN workplace would be conducive to all persons.

She said that FAAN  was also committed to preventing pollution, injury and ill-health as well as other environmental hazards.

According to her, FAAN  will provide the framework for training, setting, and reviewing IMS objectives and targets, as well as document. implement, maintain, and continually improve on Quality and Environmental (Q&E) integrated management system.

She added that the agency would be communicating to all persons under its control so that they would be aware of their individual and Q&E obligations.

She added that FAAN would make the policy available to relevant interested parties and contribute to the development of sustainable energy systems and technology.

She also said that the agency would demonstrate the importance of Q&E through hands‑on leadership and behaviour, openness in all Q&E issues and active engagement with stakeholders.

She said that FAAN would ensure Q&E training for employees and create appropriate level of awareness while  preventing use of alcohol and drug at workplace by employees.

According to Kuku, this policy statement shall be communicated, understood, implemented and supported throughout FAAN.

“It will be reviewed from time to time for suitability in order to ensure that it continues to be appropriate and in line with business needs.

“In fulfilling its statutory mandate of managing the operations of the Federal Government-owned commercial airports nationwide, FAAN is committed to delivering safe, secure and quality services to all stakeholders.” 

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have drawn up a framework to address consumer complaints arising from unsuccessful airtime and data transactions.

The NCC’s Head of Public Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

Ukoha said that said that these failed transactions happen during network downtimes, system glitches, or human input errors.

She said that the framework was the outcome of several months of engagements involving the NCC, the CBN, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Value Added Service (VAS) providers, Deposit Money Banks (DMBs), and other relevant stakeholders.

“These engagements were prompted by a rising incidence of failed airtime and data purchases, where subscribers were debited without receiving value and experienced delays in resolution.

“The framework represents a unified position by both the telecommunications and financial sectors on addressing such complaints.

“It identifies and tackles the root causes of failed airtime and data transactions, including instances where bank accounts are debited without successful delivery of services,” she said

She said that it also prescribed an enforceable Service Level Agreement (SLA) for MNOs and DMBs, clearly outlining the roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder in the transaction and resolution process.

She said that going by the new framework, whether failure occurs at the bank level or with an NCC licensee, the purchaser is entitled to a refund within 30 seconds.

“Except in circumstances where the transaction remains pending, of which the refund can take up to 24 hours,” she said
.

Ukoha said that the framework further mandated operators to notify consumers via SMS of the success or failure of every transaction.

“It also addresses erroneous recharges to ported lines, incorrect airtime or data purchases, and instances where transactions are made to the wrong phone number,” she said

Speaking on the development, the Director of Consumer Affairs at the NCC, Mrs Freda Bruce-Bennett, said that the framework also establishes a Central Monitoring Dashboard to be jointly hosted by the NCC and the CBN.

According to her, the dashboard will enable both regulators to monitor failures, the responsible party, refunds, and track SLA breaches in real time.

Bruce-Bennett said that failed top-ups ranked among the top three consumer complaint

She said that in line with the commitment to addressing these priority issues, there were determination to resolve it within the shortest possible time.

“We are grateful to all stakeholders, particularly the CBN and its leadership for their tireless commitment to resolving this issue and arriving at this framework,” she said.

She also thanked the stakeholders for ensuring that consumers of telecommunications services receive full value for their purchases.

“So far, pending the approval of management of both regulators on the framework, MNOs and banks have collectively made refunds of over N10 billion to customers for failed transactions.”

She said that implementation of the framework was expected to commence on March 1, once the two regulators make final approvals, and technical integration by all MNOs, VAS providers and DMBs is concluded.