ILAN reviews achievements, targets stronger loss adjustment practice
ILAN President, Pastor Ikechukwu Udobi
Abdullateef Fowewe
The Institute of Loss Adjusters of Nigeria (ILAN) has reviewed its first year under the current administration, reporting progress in professional fees, training, examinations and international collaboration, while emphasising the need for only registered and competent loss adjusters to handle insurance claims.
Speaking at the institute’s 44th Annual General Meeting in Lagos on Thursday, ILAN President, Pastor Ikechukwu Udobi, said the leadership, which assumed office on October 9, 2025, for a three-year tenure, had pursued a vision encapsulated in the acronym “BIRDS.”
“The journey had its own challenges, but we are grateful to God for giving us victory on all sides,” Udobi said.
He disclosed that ILAN established a Finance Committee, led by its Treasurer, Alhaji Adewale Sadiku, to prepare an annual budget and determine appropriate subscription and levy rates.
The committee’s report was approved by the Governing Council and an Extraordinary General Meeting as a standard financial operating instrument.
The institute also signed a new scale of fees with the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA), which took effect on January 1, 2026.
Udobi described the agreement as a significant improvement in the professional earnings of loss adjusters, noting that it provides for a review every three to five years.
“We acknowledge that it is not yet the best, but it is a major improvement towards improving the professional earnings of adjusters,” he said.
ILAN also admitted 19 new ordinary members following recommendations by its Membership Committee, while applications for corporate membership were still being processed.
According to Udobi, the Education Committee was restructured with a dedicated Training Sub-Committee, alongside the introduction of a member-driven approach to selecting training topics.
He said the institute had completed training on tax laws and was working towards delivering a Business Interruption Training programme before the end of the year.
On professional examinations, Udobi disclosed that seven candidates successfully completed ILAN’s Associateship Examination for the April 2026 diet.
He added that all past and current qualifiers were undergoing internships ahead of their induction scheduled for March 2027.
On international collaboration, the ILAN President revealed that the institute’s leadership visited the Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters (CILA) in London on August 27, 2026, where both professional bodies agreed to collaborate.
“In furtherance of this agreement, CILA has sent us a Memorandum of Understanding for our execution,” Udobi said, adding that ILAN’s Governing Council was studying the document before its finalisation.
The institute also paid a courtesy visit to the Commissioner for Insurance, Olusegun Omoseye, in Abuja. Udobi said the Commissioner welcomed the delegation and encouraged members to uphold professional and ethical standards.
ILAN further participated in several activities organised by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), including the launch of the Policyholders’ Trust Fund, a Senate hearing on the Nigerian Insurance Industry Regulatory Bill, an insurance penetration programme in Umuahia and the Abia State Youth Academy Training.
Speaking with journalists after the AGM, Udobi emphasised the importance of loss adjusters in ensuring fairness and professionalism in insurance claims assessment and settlement.
He explained that loss adjusters are responsible for interpreting insurance policies and ensuring that neither insurers nor policyholders are unfairly treated during claims settlement.
“The adjuster is the person who will look at the policy and be able to read the spirit and letter of the policy so that at the end of the day, no party is shortchanged. Justice would have been done,” he said.
Udobi warned that engaging unregistered or inexperienced loss adjusters could expose insurance companies to significant financial risks, including the potential depletion of shareholders’ funds.
“If you leave it in the hands of an inexperienced, unexposed, unregistered adjuster, it can easily be depleted,” he said.
“Someone can stand on his table and recommend that you pay money in billions.”
He added that a loss adjuster’s report is often a critical document in the claims settlement process, making registration with both NAICOM and the relevant professional body essential.
