Heirs Insurance Group wins Financial Times–World Bank Group Africa Sustainable Futures Award
L-R: Chinwe Binitie, Co-Head of Partnerships, World Bank Group’s Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency; Nkem Onwuamaegbu, Africa Regional Head, World Bank Group’s Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); Ifesinachi Okpagu, Chief Marketing Officer, Heirs Insurance Group; Niyi Onifade, Managing Director/CEO, Heirs Life Assurance; Henry Mance, UK News Editor, Financial Times and Ed Mountfield, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, World Bank Group’s Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency during the Africa Sustainable Futures Awards Ceremony held in the Landmark London on Thursday October 22,2026.
Nike Popoola
Heirs Insurance Group has won the Africa Sustainable Futures Award, organised by the Financial Times in partnership with the World Bank Group’s Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), in the Critical Infrastructure (Non-Energy) category.
Presented at the closing awards ceremony of the 2026 Africa Summit in London, the award recognises the Group’s innovative use of digital technology to expand access to insurance and advance financial inclusion among underserved communities in Nigeria.
At the core of the Group’s initiatives is Prince AI, Nigeria’s first multilingual generative AI insurance assistant. The platform uses artificial intelligence and multilingual capabilities, with a focus on local languages, to make insurance more accessible and easier to understand.
Combined with the Group’s USSD platform, mobile application, digital channels and bancassurance distribution network, the initiative is helping extend financial protection to populations historically excluded from formal insurance services.
Through these initiatives, Heirs Insurance Group has extended insurance access to more than three million people, demonstrating how technology-enabled distribution can help address barriers to insurance adoption in markets where access to financial protection remains limited.
The Group’s approach combines digital accessibility with a commitment to customer trust and service delivery. Its pledge to settle validated claims within 48 hours also provides a dependable safety net for individuals, families and businesses facing unexpected financial shocks.
Commenting on the recognition, Niyi Onifade, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Heirs Life Assurance, said the award validated the Group’s commitment to making insurance simple, accessible and reliable for Nigerians.
“This award is a powerful validation of our commitment to making insurance simple, accessible and reliable for every Nigerian. For too long, millions of people have remained outside the formal insurance ecosystem, leaving them vulnerable to financial uncertainty. We are using technology to help change that reality,” he said.
He added: “By combining digital innovation, artificial intelligence, multilingual capabilities and customer-centric distribution, we are addressing traditional barriers to insurance adoption and bringing financial protection closer to the people who need it most. Our mission is to demonstrate that inclusive insurance can be delivered at scale without compromising the quality of the customer experience.”
The Critical Infrastructure (Non-Energy) category recognises private-sector initiatives that strengthen essential infrastructure and improve livelihoods through sustainable, scalable solutions.
Heirs Insurance Group’s recognition highlights the role digital financial services can play in advancing financial inclusion and strengthening economic resilience.
The award marks an important milestone in the Group’s efforts to expand insurance access through technology, broaden participation in Nigeria’s formal insurance market and build greater financial resilience among individuals and businesses.
