Yemisi Izuora
Mr. Olorundare Sunday Thomas, former Commissioner for Insurance/CEO, National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), will chair the Business Journal Insurance & Pension Roundtable 2026 scheduled for Tuesday, November 24, 2026 at Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The theme of the Roundtable is: “Beyond Recapitalisation: The Challenge of Customer Service & Growth for Insurance and Pension Operators.”
Mr. Thomas Olorundare Sunday is the Managing Partner, DASUNOTH Limited, a management consultancy services firm.
He was the Commissioner for Insurance and Chief Executive Officer of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) until April 30, 2024. He also served between 2010 and April 2017 as the Director – General and Chief Executive of the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA), a self- regulatory organisation where he among other initiatives piloted the establishment of the Nigerian Insurance Industry Database (NIID).
He had earlier worked at different times at the National Insurance Commission as Director-in-Charge of Research and Market Development, Technical and the Inspectorate Directorates (1992 to December 2009) where he piloted most of the policies of the Commission until when he retired from service in 2009.
Before his first engagement at the Commission, he had worked in the insurance industry for over 10 years.
Mr. Thomas is an Insurance Professional with a BSc (Hons)in Actuarial Science and an MBA, Finance, all from the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
A Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) and an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute of London (CIIL. He is also a Member of the Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM) and many other professional bodies.
He was at various times involved in many of the Insurance Industry and the Financial Sector Committees and Governing Boards some of which include:
(a) Member, Committee on the Review of the 1997 Insurance Act
(b) Member, Education Committee of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria
(c) Chairman, National Planning Committee of the Annual Seminar on the Development of the Nigerian Financial Markets: 2002 – 2009
(d) Member, Governing Board of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) 2003 – 2004
(e) Chairman, West African Association of Insurance Supervisory Authorities (WAISA)
(f) Chairman, Organisation of African Insurance Supervisory Authorities (OAISA)
(g) He was at different times a Member of the following Boards:
1. National Pension Commission (PenCom)
2. Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB)
3. Africa Reinsurance Corporation (AfricaRe)
He attended many courses and conferences both locally and internationally, some of which include those organised by the Lagos Business School (LBS), African Insurance Organisation (AIO), World Bank, International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS), UNCTAD and the Global Leadership Centre in Toronto, Canada.
He was also a resource person at the West Africa Insurance Institute (WAII), The Gambia.
Thomas is a believer and a lover of sports, especially the game of Tennis and Golf.
Special guest of honours at the event include, Mr. Olusegun Omosehin, Commissioner for Insurance/CEO, National Insurance Commission (NAICOM)and Ms. Omolola Oloworaran, Director-General, National Pension Commission (PenCom)
Keynote speakers include, Mr. Tope Smart, Group Chairman, NEM Insurance Group, while others are, Mr. Jide Orimolade, President/Chairman of Council, CIIN, Mrs. Anthonia Ifeanyi-Okoro, CEO, PenOp, Mrs. Ebelechukwu Nwachukwu, Chairman, NIA and Mrs. Ekeoma Ezeibe, President/Chairman of Council, NCRIB
Panelists include, Mr. Adedayo Arowojolu, Managing Director/CEO, Unitrust Insurance Company Limited, Mr. Ivor Takor, Pension Industry Activist/Expert amd Mrs. Felicia Bolajoko David, Managing Director/CEO, Alliance & General Insurance Plc
Reacting to the development, Prince Cookey, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, Business Journal Media Group said, “We are indeed delighted to have Mr. O.S. Thomas as Chairman for the Business Journal Insurance & Pension Roundtable 2026. A quintessential and legendary figure in the insurance industry in Nigeria, he traversed the market like a colossus, rising from the level of a professional in the operating environment to the position of a regulator. He remains a positive reference point for Nigerian insurers and left a solid mark as a regulator.”
Cookey said successful conclusion of the recapitalisation exercise in the insurance sector on Friday, July 31, 2026 has invigorated the sector, not only in terms of capital but also in terms of positive perception of the industry by the insuring public.
He said the same energy of expected new capital and optimism will also be evident after the ongoing recapitalisation process in the pension sector initiated by the National Pension Commission (PenCom) with a compliance deadline of June 2027 for Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) and Pension Fund Custodians (PFCs).
Beyond capitalisation, the two markets also need to address two critical and fundamental issues:
• How will insurers and pension operators deploy their new capital for better customer service and growth?
• How ready are insurers and pension operators for the market challenges of post-presidential election 2027?
The Business Journal Publisher added that the outcome of the presidential election on January 16, 2027 could have profound impact on insurance firms and pension operators in terms of policy framework and operating environment, far beyond the issue of capital.
The objective of the Business Journal Insurance & Pension Roundtable 2026 is to generate public awareness for the insurance and pension sectors and to draw a roadmap for the operators in terms of market visibility, customer service, sustainable growth and contribution to the national economy going forward