The joy of members of staff and agents of African Alliance Insurance, a foremost insurance company, knew no bounds when they received special recognition, awards and gifts for excellent performance in Lagos. WALE AJETUNMOBI reports.
They came in their best suits and traditional attires. Their happiness was self-evident. It was the day African Alliance Insurance, a foremost insurance company, gave special recognition, awards and gifts to its deserving employees and agents in Lagos. It is an annual fiesta looked forward to by employees and agents.
For employees, the honour of standing on the rostrum to be celebrated cannot be quantified. And they glowed with pride as they took turn to receive their awards.
Some of the rewards were in Best Unit Manager in Takaful, a family plan product; Best Three Agents in Takaful, Best Agency Managers in Annuity Premium Income, Best Agency Manager in First Year Premium Income, Best Agency Manager in Renewable Premium Income, among others.
The essence of the ceremony, which was initiated in 2013, is to encourage the employees and agents of the company to explore more opportunities in the insurance world that is increasingly becoming more competitive.
“It is not essentially because the money and gifts thatcome with the award that I am too much bothered with. It is rather the honour and recognition that advertise you as a hard working staff. I narrowly missed being recognized this year but I hope that by next year, I will be one of those to be celebrated,” said an employee.
African Alliance Insurance Managing Director Alphose Okpor, who introduced the initiative on his appointment in 2013, explained that the essence is to reward the winners and challenge others to work harder in order to be able to meet the goal of the company, which he said, is to become a leader in the life insurance sector. In apparent reference to the biblical story of the mustard tree which started as the smallest seed but later became the largest tree in the forest, he disclosed that the company began the reward system from a humble beginning before taking it to its current enticing status.
He said: “We started with small gift items like generators and plaques before we realised that they were not enough. We upgraded when we introduced new targets across policies”.
In explaining the qualifications for the award, Okpor disclosed that an employee who delivers individual life policies and life annuity insurance worth specific amount of premium, is entitled to a saloon car from the company.
Okpor added that since the introduction of the gesture, staff and agent morale for achieving more, has been boosted greatly.
At this year’s exercise, plaques, cars, cash prizes and home appliances were given to deserving staff and agents.
Sylvester Onu, Onitsha, Anambra Branch Manager of the company, who won in two out of 25 categories, was presented with a Hyundai Elantra Saloon Car, which he earned in Best Agency Manager category in Renewable Premium Income. He was also given a trophy and cash award.
Onu, who enthused that he had won awards for three consecutive years, lauded the company for motivating him to do more. In his words; “I have won this category for three consecutive times now and the company still appreciates my efforts by giving me tools to explore. I thank the management for keeping their vision up”.
Vivian Adams, Best Unit Manager of the year category award winner, was no less enthusiastic. Obviously overwhelmed with excitement at attaining the rare feat, she described the reward as a challenge for her to do more in the years ahead. “I feel so great to be recognised as best among my colleagues. This award is a tool for me to work harder in the coming year”, she stated.
Winners in other categories expressed similar notes of excitement at their recognition and pledged to do more. On their own, those who could not make it this year, vowed to ensure putting up performances that would earn them recognition and accompanying reward next year.
African Alliance Insurance, it was gathered, does not limit its efforts at motivating and encouraging its agents and workforce only to awards and special recognition.
The company, according to the General Manager, Marketing, Vincent Emezi, also organises training programmes on time management and strategic marketing, among other incentives, for the staff and agents. Such engagements, he said, contribute in enhancing quality and capacity building within the company’s workforce and in the process, securing its future.
He spoke glowingly on the annual award ceremony, stressing that it promotes healthy competition among the marketing staff of the company.
The exercise, he said, “is a replica of what is done abroad to challenge employees to engage in healthy competition”, adding, “that is why the company rewards the First to the Third Winners at the event”.
African Alliance Insurance Plc was incorporated as a Private Limited Liability Company on May 6, 1960 and was the first indigenous insurance company to carry out the business of Life Assurance in Nigeria. The company which was originally set up in partnership with Munich Reinsurance Company of Germany, one of the largest reinsurance companies in the world, has a shareholders’ fund of about N9 billion.
It has in the last three years improved its revenue profile after recording losses in previous years. The liquidity of the company’s balance sheet and profitability ratios indices have also improved significantly.
The core competencies of the company are a creative combination of Protection (Term Assurance and Group Life), Savings and Investment Products, which the insurance company has established a solid reputation for excellent customer service over the years.
