AIO Intensifies Preparation For 2022 Conference, Annual General Assembly Holding In Kenya

The Local Organising Committee for the 2022 African Insurance Organisation (AIO) Conference and Annual General Assembly has intensified preparation to ensure a hitch-free and successful event.

This year’s AIO Conference and Annual General Assembly is billed to take place in Nairobi, Kenya, from 25th to 30th June 2022.

The theme of the conference is ‘Insurance and Climate Change: Harnessing the Opportunities for Growth in Africa’

The disclosure will centre on how various insurance markets in the continent can take advantage of the challenges posed by climate change globally to their advantage through the development of innovative and attractive insurance products that offer solutions to the challenging effects of climate change.

AIO will also use the event to mark the 50th Anniversary of the establishment of the Pan-African Organisation.

In his statement, the President of the AIO Local Organising Committee, Dr. Ben Kajwang, said the last two years have taught insurers to be agile and responsive to their environment, adding that what was termed the ‘new-normal’ has been assimilated into their previous way of life and this has made them more flexible.

He said that thankfully, lower infection rates and a weaker COVID-19 virus is being witnessed, as well as increased vaccination numbers and easing of travel restrictions.

He also said that they prepared to host insurers in person and virtually, noting that they have put in place adequate measures to ensure safety.

He said: “Our world has changed, in some cases for the better but for our environment and climate, it is taking a turn for the worse. The effects of climate change have resulted in more frequent natural disasters including floods, droughts, forest fires, melting glaciers and mountain snow caps. Africa has made a negligible contribution to the effects of climate change yet, according to the World Meteorological Department, four out of 10 of the worst climate disasters in 2021, occurred.”

Kajwang said the theme of the conference “speaks to what our Continent is experiencing,” noting that “the insurance industry has a critical role to play in helping companies and nations manage, measure and reduce the impact of climate change.

“We, therefore, cannot continue with business as usual in the face of increasing frequency and scale of risks caused by climate change, we must adjust our business models to better support Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues.

“The Conference papers will delve deeper into the African perspective of this global issue while focusing on Agriculture insurance, the use of data for solutions and the power of consumer education. It is our hope that delegates will find the information from the presentations relevant and valuable in their day-to-day business operations”, he added.

The African Insurance Organisation (AIO), established in 1972, is a non-governmental organization recognized by many African governments.