Nigeria’s insurance industry, despite historically low penetration compared with banking and fintech, has continued to expand in recent years.
According to Nairametrics, Nigeria’s insurance companies held total assets of about N4.6 trillion by mid-2025, a sign of rising investments and stronger balance sheets across the industry.
At the same time, gross premium generation has continued to climb, with insurers recording N769.2 billion in premiums in the first quarter of 2025 alone, one of the strongest quarterly performances on record.
This shows that while insurance still lags behind other financial sectors in scale, its growth trajectory is steadily improving.
Within this evolving landscape, some women are increasingly shaping the direction of the industry.
From executive leadership, underwriting and actuarial services to risk management, female professionals are gaining influence in a sector.
In celebration of International Women’s Day, here are the influential female C-suite executives in Nigeria’s insurance industry.
Here are the women leading the Nigerian insurance sector
Yemisi Rotimi is the Chief Financial Officer at Leadway Assurance Company Limited, where she oversees the company’s financial strategy, reporting, risk management, and treasury operations.
She has more than 25 years of experience as a senior finance executive, having held leadership roles across global financial institutions and consulting firms.
Rotimi holds a Master’s degree from the University of Greenwich and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria. She is also an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and a Chartered Global Management Accountant with the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants.
She began her professional career with BDO before transitioning into the financial services industry. Over the years, she has worked with several international organisations, including Royal Mail Plc, Bank of Ireland, and Lehman Brothers, where she held senior finance and management roles covering financial control, regulatory reporting, risk management, and treasury operations.
Her career also includes senior leadership positions in the United Kingdom’s financial sector, where she served as Head of Financial Control at Acenden. She also worked as a consultant at Close Brothers Asset Management.
In addition to her corporate roles, Rotimi has been involved in advisory and consulting work. She served as Senior Consultant and later Non-Executive Director at Capworth Consulting Ltd, providing strategic guidance on finance and sustainability initiatives.
