Aladekomo advocates use of IT in insurance expansion

THE founding Managing Director, Chams Plc, Sir Demola Aladekomo, has listed ways by which insurance companies can effectively utilise Information Technology (IT) to promote their products and services in the Nigerian market considering the massive adoption of technology tools by Nigerians in recent years.

He made this known in Abuja at the Insurance Industry 2015 Mega Conference where he was the guest speaker. Aladekomo, who was represented at the conference by the Managing Director, Chams Access Limited, Funke Alomo-Oluwa, delivered a paper entitled “Information Technology as a Strategy for Market Penetration and Expansion.”

The information technology pioneer said: “Insurance must be seen, felt and sold like commodity that it is. It should be sold everywhere.”

According to him, “There is a need for insurance companies and her professional bodies to leverage this platform by partnering with relevant companies and agencies in the technology sector to create and provide specialised services which would help update their internal and external operations.”

With the swift accessibility of information and automation of business processes made possible by technology, Aladekomo urged insurance companies to take advantage of IT tools such as mobile phones, ATMs, POS, online retail websites and kiosks to offer real-time services and products to members of the public for market penetration to expand their businesses to new frontiers.

He advised insurance companies to develop vibrant digital marketing strategies and become more visible on social media platforms by interacting with their followers and the entire online community to sensitize them on the need to pick up an insurance plan.

Aladekomo, who is also the Chairman of Smart City Resort Plc, remarked that insurance companies can maximise the use of IT in building an efficient data base, conducting data analytics and recovery of lost items via systematic tracking. Smart City Resort Plc is the holding company for the SmartCity Innovation Hub.

The SmartCity Innovaton Hub is an A-grade technology development infrastructure promoted by the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and the Federal Ministry of Communications Technology.

The project is a bold move to bring together technology, government and society in ways that promote the culture of innovation and the competitiveness between allied businesses and knowledge-based institutions.