Business

Lasaco Assurance: Looking Good For The Future By Rilwan Oshinusi

Published

4 years ago

September 30, 2020

Adebayo

Since its over 40 years of existence and particularly within the last five years, Lasaco Assurance Plc has consistently made remarkable progress and contributed positively to the growth of the insurance industry through our strict adherence to professional standards.

The company has insisted on doing business with honesty, empathy and the fear of God and made its clients get value for their investments, thus, making them (clients) rely on the company as their dependable companion.

This has culminated in a lot of noticeable positive changes that have kept Lasaco in the top position in its line of business. Its core values, purpose and mission have continued to make it a leading brand in the insurance industry in Nigeria.

Lasaco’s improved performance, especially in the last five years, was driven by various transformational and growth changes implemented by the Board of Directors and Management, which have resulted in significant changes to its organisational structures and performance. Its marketing effort is now through a strategic branch structure (organised on a regional basis) for adequate coverage of the entire country in order to increase our penetration.

These changes were also supported by various capacity upgrades, including robust procedures and policies which have enhanced its operations as well as improved the company’s performance and growth. It has significantly upscaled the quality of its service delivery as well as considerably reduced service turnaround times.

Thus, Lasaco has grown considerably in size, business-coverage, capital base and assets with its operations spanning all classes of insurance and special risks business as well as real estate.

Lasaco’s business portfolio currently includes leadership and a significant share of key Federal and State Governments insurance businesses, multinationals and private companies. In the last five years, the Company has embarked on strategic programmes to boost its growth, performance and transformation in line with its vision and organisational goal.

In the area of growth, the Company has recorded about 30% increase in its Gross Premium Income within five years. Financially, Lasaco is strong with an asset base of about N17 billion and a high solvency margin ratio. It has consistently paid dividends to shareholders since the last three years.

As part of its transformation agenda, Lasaco remodelled its Head Office to a world-class workplace environment as well as rebranded to embrace the company’s global nature while retaining its root of origin.

The Nigerian insurance market has been faced with different challenges in its efforts to serve the needs of the relevant stakeholders. As a result, the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), the body responsible for the regulation of the insurance industry has, over time, devised different means in its aim to achieve this.

With the recent Recapitalisation Guidelines issued by NAICOM to meet up with the requirements, Lasaco’s shareholders have been proactive to approve the raising of N10 billion additional capital through Special/Private Placement. The arrangement is at an advanced stage, and soon they (the shareholders) and new investors will be allowed to increase their shareholding and/or invest newly.

Since January 2020, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has transformed the whole world and presented tremendous challenges with reverberating effects medically, socially and economically. Thank God that the company has kept its head afloat working tirelessly to ensure that its effect does not keep it out of business.

Lasaco’s investment in ICT infrastructure is yielding fruit as most of its staff are effectively working remotely with minimal disruption, since most of the Company’s documents are now stored in the clouds, arranged methodically for ease of retrieval.

As a socially responsible corporate citizen that supports government’s efforts in curbing the spread of the deadly COVID19, LASACO, along with other major insurance companies, under the leadership of Nigerian Insurers Association and National Insurance Commission, provided Testing Materials, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Life Insurance Cover free of charge to 5,000 front line health workers across the country.

Prior to this, the Company had extended such gestures to two states by providing Life Insurance Cover for an appreciable number of health workers and volunteers in Lagos State and the State of Osun.

Digital technologies are fundamentally changing how companies in the insurance industry operate and serve their customers, and Lasaco is not exempted. The company intends to transform its claims administration process and customer experiences via digitalisation. Its website has been revamped to ease the process of buying an insurance policy or filing a claim.

As a growth strategy to further increase our branch network and national presence, Lasaco intends to expand its branches and operating base network to include locations such as the South-South and South East regions of Nigeria.

No doubt, the future looks brighter for the company as it continue to make sacrifice to satisfy its clients so as to make the investments of the company’s shareholders continue to yield positive results.

Rilwan Oshinusi is the Deputy Managing Director, Corporate Services, Lasaco Assurance PLC

Business

Abuja Investments Company Limited Launches Automated System

Published

1 day ago

April 30, 2024

Adebayo

In a significant stride toward modernization and efficiency, Ambassador Maureen P. Tamuno, Group Managing Director and CEO of Abuja Investments Company Limited (AICL) has unveiled an Automated Tollgate System for streamlining access control, security enhancement, and facilitation of smoother operations in Garki Ultra -Modern Market in the Federal Capital Territory.

According to Fatima Nadada, Head of Communications, AICL, the automated system will among other things provide: Smart Access Control; also, the new system employs cutting-edge technology to regulate entry and exit at the market gates by ensuring that only authorized individuals can access the premises.

“In addition, there is room for real-time monitoring of activities as market administrators can monitor activities at the gates in real time, allowing for prompt responses to any anomalies or security breaches.

“Also, the system collects data on foot traffic, peak hours, and patterns. Thus, enabling informed decision-making by the management of the market, as well as efficient revenue collection, since it will improve automated payment processing, simplifies fee collection, reduce paperwork and enhance transparency.”

In her remarks at the event, Ambassador Tamuno expressed enthusiasm on the milestone and was optimistic that the automated system would not only empower market stakeholders but contribute to the growth of FCT’s economy.

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Business

Bigi Carbonated Soft Drinks Treats 40 Consumers to an Epic Easter Movie Hangout

Published

5 days ago

April 26, 2024

Adebayo

Reinforcing her commitment to a delightful consumer experience, Bigi Carbonated Soft Drinks, a leading brand from Rite Foods Limited, hosted 40 lucky fans to an impressive Easter celebration. This exciting Easter movie hangout took place at Silverbird Cinemas, Ikeja City Mall, Lagos, and featured a screening of the movie, “Beast of Two Worlds (Ajakaju)”.

The movie’s portrayal of traditional Nigerian society alongside its thrilling plot left the Bigi consumers thoroughly entertained. After the movie, the fans received exciting freebies and expressed their gratitude to the Bigi brand for this special Easter treat.

Biola Aransiola, Assistant Brand Manager, Bigi, commented on the event, highlighting Bigi’s dedication to showing appreciation to their consumers. “This movie hangout served as a way to celebrate Easter with our loyal fans and provide them with a truly extraordinary experience, all while enjoying the refreshing and diverse range of 13 Bigi flavours,” Aransiola stated.

Bigi Carbonated Soft Drinks has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to consumer well-being. The brand actively connects with its audience by creating opportunities to fulfill their dreams and offering refreshment throughout their journeys. Bigi’s dedication to its consumers is further solidified through sponsorships of various initiatives, earning them prestigious awards such as the “Most Innovative Carbonated Soft Drink Brand of the Year” (2023), “Friendly Brand of the Year” (2023), and “Best Value for Money-Carbonated Soft Drink Brand” (2023), among others

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Business

Ooni of Ife Extends Business Frontier with Audacious Takeover of Tingo

Published

2 weeks ago

April 19, 2024

Adebayo

Ooni of Ife His Imperial Majesty, Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi

Coca Cola, Pepsi, American Cola & all other popular brands in the soft drink sector & energy drink sector should get set for an immense battle royale, which would be to the great advantage of the consumers, as the newest brand to come into that sector arrived with a massive bang yesterday! And to the admiration of all.

Tingo set of drinks launched on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at their expansive HQ, to the admiration of all to loads of unprecedented razzmatazz/fanfare with consumers greatly giving kudos for a good job well done.

Only 2 out of 9 variants were launched yesterday. The Tingo Cola & Tingo Electric Energy drink. And already people are anticipating the other variants with bated breaths! As they were quite impressed with what they have experienced already!

To state a fact without mincing words, the taste was amazing, as was the international style packaging, too, in reusable cans, with health considerations playing a major part in the production. Sugar content was exact without affecting the taste!

Even the name of the brand Tingo is also titillating, to say the least.

All of the 9 varieties of impressive drinks are set to be unleashed powerfully into the market pretty soon like a takeover by the company now captained by none other than his imperial majesty, Alaiyeluwa Oba Adeyeye Babatunde Enitan Ogunwusi, the Ojaja II, Ooni-Orisa Olofin Adimula of Ile-Ife.

The astute businessman cum royal father is said to have bought off the company from the former owner and has deliberately kept the fascinating name of the brand.

The amiable monarch, who is a youth advocate/encourager in all ramifications, who believes fervently that the sky is the beginning, and not a limit as it concerns any endeavour one finds in his/her hand to do, spoke at the launch, thus:

‘Nigeria can lead the entire continent of Africa to compete favourably in the global market with standard goods and services, particularly when it comes to carbonated drinks, beverages, and the likes’.

Ooni went further to say that Tingo Cola and Tingo Electric; a Flavoured Carbonated and Energy drinks, respectively, produced by Tingo B.V PLC is a spin-off company from Ojaja Pan Africa Limited, explaining that Nigeria has a lot to offer the world.

“It has been my dream from childhood to have a homegrown brand that will satisfactorily produce international quality drinks that will serve Nigerians, and present the country as a leader in the African market and on the global stage.

“Currently, we have the license under which we are producing Tingo Cola, Tingo Electra, Tingo Twist (Cucumber and Cranberry) and Tingo Booze Fruit mix. All of which are produced and packaged in Nigeria with recourse to our values and standards. All to be properly integrated with Ojaja bitters, Orange, Lemon/Ginger/Orange drinks. Also, most importantly, we should all work towards elevating our homegrown brands instead of demarketing them.”

Speaking further on his involvement in the commercial activities through these products, Ooni Ogunwusi said, “I have taken it upon myself to step into the market not as businessman but as a pathfinder who will show our people how to add value for international standard in production to distribution and consumption. It is a new model that will be a win- win for everyone.

“With this, I am targeting a total of five million direct and indirect jobs for the youths, particularly through retailing, recycling, and other forms of distributorship fully driven by technology. The youths are drivers of this initiative, and we are determined to achieve this purpose through a unique, proven technology and innovation. Under our Unified ecosystem of “the more we are together, the happier we shall be”