THE newly elected and co-opted council members of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) have been urged to be good ambassadors of the institute by demonstrating high-level professional conduct in discharging their responsibilities to accelerate the industry’s growth.
They were also enjoined to respect the values and ethics of the institute by living a purpose-driven life that would enhance not only the Image of the institute but that of the entire insurance industry.
Mrs Yetunde Ilori, President/Chairman of Council, CIIN, made the call in her welcome remark at the 2024 Annual Retreat for the CIIN council members with the theme, ‘Council Membership: Leveraging Members Reputation for Industry Acceleration,’ held in Lagos.
The president urged the council members to make a difference that will ensure the present tenure count, even as she charged them to be alive to their responsibilities.
She pointed out that there is no other time they can create the future they envisioned for the institute than now, while urging them to prepare themselves in such a way to represent the professional institute that is dear to all.
She said: “The annual retreat is more than a ritual but the gathering is where we look at the critical things that were done in the past and what we should be doing and know how to move the institute forward and that is why we have this thought-provoking theme.
“There is no doubt that we all know at this particular time, we need this to get the industry in acceleration move because each time we talked about all that we need to do to deepen penetration, to create awareness, to make our profession the pride of all financial sector operators and that is the reason why I will like to use this opportunity to congratulate you once more.
“I want you to know that it is not just accidental that we are here. I am congratulating us because it is time to think about our dreams, especially when coming on to join the council, we all have a dream and we want to offer ourselves for service.
“Service is a universal tool that comes with satisfaction, the satisfaction that comes with the joy that accompanies service cannot be quantified.
“At this particular time, I want to talk to all of us that we need to remember the promises that we made to everyone that we want to serve before coming on board.
“It is an opportunity for us to create the future that we want to see today hence the theme for my tenure – “Igniting the Bedrock of Our Indigenous Industry.”
Mrs Ilori further stated that: “There is something that we are all seeing and there is something that we must all see. There is a need for us to continuously remind ourselves so that we can live a purpose-driven life. The only way to live a purpose-driven life is to live a life of purpose and there is no way you will live a life of purpose without respecting our professional institute’s values.
“It is time for us to see our leadership role as council members as something that involves responsibility and the responsibility that we have is such that we cannot delay if we want to build the future that is acceptable.”
The institute’s Registrar/CEO, Mrs Abimbola Tiamiyu, earlier in her opening remark, highlighted the importance of the retreat, noting that it was time for the council members to re-enact their vows and also listen to the past presidents as they share their thoughts and experiences.
“We are here to do the reenactment of vows and for the past Presidents to share their thoughts with us on what to do. And the newly elected 12 and the co-opted members to tap into their line of thoughts on what is expected of them and how they are required to behave as Council members,” she explained.
According to her, the retreat presents ample opportunity for the new members to interact with the past presidents to take advantage of the contacts they have and the connections they have already established to create a level playing ground in the discharge of their duties.
Hannah Oyebanjo underscored the importance of CIIN council members’ reputation and explained how it can make or mar the institute, while delivering the theme paper.
She said the CIIN council members’ reputation is a strategic tool for accelerating growth and influence. “Members can use their reputation to accelerate the institute’s growth. Members’ actions, words and decisions reflect the institute’s reputation and overall industry standing, therefore, positive actions boost the institute’s reputation while negative ones destroy it.”
Oyebanjo posited that CIIN’s reputation derives from members’ knowledge and expertise, stressing that a leader’s reputation is his/her valuable asset.
She explained that reputation drives growth by attracting stakeholders, partners and opportunities and called on the council members to leverage accountability, personal branding, expertise and networks to accelerate industry growth.
She urged CIIN Council members to leverage their reputation to accelerate growth by walking the talk, leveraging the network for growth and aligning their brands with the institute’s values.
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