By Elliot WILLIAMS
The Ghana Insurers Association (GIA), in partnership with the Ghana National Bureau (GNB) of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme, last week inaugurated their jointly owned and occupied new headquarters at Kanda, a suburb of Accra.
Known as Insurance House, the new building is 70% owned by the GIA and 30% owned by the Ghana office of the ECOWAS Brown Card Scheme.
The Insurance House is a modern, three story building with a single basement level. It occupies about 1,750 square meters of land and features a reception hall, banking hall, conference and meeting rooms, offices for its owner institutions, lounges, a restaurant and a rooftop terrace.
The building is located just a few buildings away from the rented premises that had hitherto housed the GIA. For its own part, the GNB of the ECOWAS Brown Card Scheme had, since its inception in 1987, moved from one premises to another, the latest being in the Mainstream (Reinsurance) House in Osu.
The event attracted an array of Ghana’s insurance industry chieftains, as befitting of the opening of the headquarters of the industry. Dr Abiba Zakaria, the Commissioner of Insurance, graced the event as its special guest of honour, and it was attended by past and present Insurance Commissioners, GIA Board and Council members, and the presidents of all the various insurance associations as well as CEOs of insurance companies and brokers.
Welcoming guests to the ceremony, the president of the GIA, Seth Aklatsi, asserted that the event was “not about bricks and mortar, but about legacy, collaboration and shared vision.”
He further noted that through outreach, education and real-life testimonials, the GIA is demystifying insurance, simplifying coverage and making it a meaningful part of everyday life in Ghana. “We have introduced tools like the CMAB hotline and USSD (800442#) to resolve claims issues promptly, a vital step in building public trust, and we are working tirelessly to ensure every Ghanaian sees insurance not as a promise, but as a solution.
The Chairman of the GNB of the ECOWAS Brown Card Scheme, Mr Yamoah, used the occasion to reiterate the institution’s commitment to fulfilling its mandate of providing third party motor insurance coverage that guarantees fair and prompt payment of compensation for victims of road accidents.
He pointed out that the establishment of the new office complex “is proof of our continuous service to foreign motorists as well as the Ghanaian citizenry.”
Delivering her keynote address, the Commissioner for Insurance, Dr Abiba Zakaria, described the building as “a bold symbol of progress, unity and our collective commitment to transforming Ghana’s insurance sector.”
She noted that the theme for the event – Inclusivity and Accessibility: Purpose beyond Profit – called on insurers to look beyond profitability and make the industry relevant and accessible to all Ghanaians.
“At the National Insurance Commission, we reaffirm our commitment to driving regulatory reform, encouraging product innovation and strengthening consumer education. We are committed to increasing insurance penetration and coverage nationwide. We are driving initiatives that promote inclusive insurance and foster innovation within the industry,”
She listed initiatives such as the Insurance Awareness Month, the ongoing establishment of insurance companies on university campuses, and the designing of tailored insurance for the informal sector as efforts in these regards.
“To further encourage innovation, we are fostering insurance challenge initiatives, designed to stimulate creative solutions for local insurance needs” she added. “We are also investing in agricultural risk management through the establishment of an Agricultural Insurance Fund, with plans to expand coverage across the entire agricultural value chain.”
The commissioning of Insurance House generated intense excitement and enthusiasm among industry practitioners and regulators alike, present at the event, as they forged an atmosphere of camaraderie and collaboration towards achieving their collective professional and institutional aspirations.
