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
Jacqueline Uche Agweh is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of SanlamAllianz General Insurance Nigeria Limited.
She has more than three decades of experience across multiple segments of Nigeria’s insurance industry.
She was appointed substantive MD/CEO on February 11, 2026, after previously serving as Executive Director in charge of Technical Operations at the company.
Before her current role, she held senior management positions across several insurance institutions, including FBN General Insurance, now part of Sanlam General Insurance, as well as Oasis Insurance Plc, Kelsan Insurance Brokers Limited, and ACEN Insurance Company Limited.
She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Insurance from the University of Lagos and is a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria. She is also an alumna of Lagos Business School, where she completed the Senior Management Programme.
Beyond her executive responsibilities, Agweh has played an active role within industry bodies, serving on several committees of the Nigerian Insurers Association. Her contributions include chairing the Sub-Committee on Outstanding Claims and leading the Motor Technical Committee Retreat in 2022, efforts aimed at strengthening claims management standards and technical practices across Nigeria’s insurance industry.
