“The heights by great men reached and kept, were not attained by sudden flight,

But they, while their companions slept, were toiling upward in the night.”

                                              - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in The Ladder of Saint Augustine (1882)

When the American poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned down these lines, he must have had in mind great men such as Nigeria’s General Yakubu Gowon, GCFR and Mr. Ola Vincent, CFR. Their achievements in all spheres of human life are incontrovertible.

Indeed, General Gowon and Mr Vincent are elder statesmen highly respected in Nigeria and abroad. Their track record speaks volume of their hard work, integrity, doggedness, dynamism, forthrightness, accountability and tenacity of purpose. They are leaders par excellence. They surely deserve the Lifetime Achievement Awards they are being honoured with today by ThisDay Newspapers.

The leadership qualities of General Gowon and Mr Vincent have manifest in the running of the Industrial And General Insurance Plc (IGI), Nigeria’s leading insurance company, where both gentlemen have been Chairman of the Board and Director respectively since the Company’s formation 16 years ago.

Without gainsaying, a major strength of IGI which has contributed immensely to the growth of the Company over the years is the top-drawer quality and stability of its Board of Directors. Members of the Board are eminent and distinguished individuals who have excelled in their businesses and professions and have been making important contributions to the political, economic and social development of Nigeria. The Board includes the Executive Vice Chairman, Mr Remi Olowude, OON who leads the Company’s management team.

General Gowon’s leadership of IGI as Chairman is exemplary. A former Head of State and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria from 1966 to 1975, the erudite statesman who has a doctorate degree in Political Science has spent the past three decades providing leadership for projects designed to promote peace and progress in Nigeria and the world in general. He has used his experience and leadership qualities to steer IGI to an enviable height. It is noteworthy that IGI is the first private company the former Head of State would participate in as a founding equity shareholder and Director/Chairman. The nation indeed acknowledges General Gowon’s contribution to national development by awarding him one of the country’s highest national honours, the Grand Commander of the Federal Republic (GCFR).

Mr Vincent, a respected opinion leader and an economist of repute, was the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) between 1977 and 1982 during which he served the nation meritoriously, setting exemplary standards in accountability, probity and efficiency. He has been making significant contributions to national economic growth and development in the past four decades. In recognition of his contribution to the well-being of Nigeria, the Federal Government conferred on him the national honour, Commander of the Federal Republic (CFR).

The contribution of General Gowon and Mr Vincent to the success achieved so far by IGI is immeasurable. IGI was incorporated as a limited liability company on 31^st October 1991. Two months later, precisely on 24^th December 1991, the Company was issued a licence by the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) to operate all classes of insurance business in Nigeria, including Life, Non-Life and Pension. The Company commenced business on 31^st January 1992, and in November 2007, it became a public limited company following the successful completion of its private placement.

The Company has since established a reputation for the provision and delivery of products and services of high use value not only in general insurance but also in the specialised areas of oil and energy, marine and aviation, engineering and industrial risks management. Today, the Company is the most recapitalised insurance company in Nigeria.

Now a public company, IGI has a wide and diversified investment portfolio in companies engaged in telecommunications services, banking, money and capital markets, real estate, oil and engineering services, medical equipments and supplies, travels and tours, computer sales and services, aviation, oil and engineering services, forestry and health care delivery services, amongst others.

It is indeed cheering and heart-warming that General Gowon and Mr Vincent have added another feather to their caps by individually bagging the Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is a reward for the excellence that the duo and IGI are known for. The trio of General Gowon, Mr Vincent and IGI are truly a combination of excellence.

February 2008