The insurance industry has joined the national flood cleanup exercise, with a dual message to Ghanaians: we will compensate those insured, and we urge those not insured to take cover now.

Speaking during the cleanup, Dr Abiba Zakariah, Commissioner of Insurance at the National Insurance Commission (NIC), said insurers have a responsibility both to prevent losses and to support recovery when disasters strike.

“We have a job to help people to protect them when they suffer a loss, but most importantly also to guide them so that they don't even suffer the loss in the first place,” she said.

“For those who are insured, we are setting up special desks so that they can come to us and we can respond quickly to them. We will compensate and the compensation will come quick and fast enough so that they can recover their lives and move on.”

Dr Zakariah urged Ghanaians to rethink their attitude toward insurance, especially in the wake of the June 29 floods.

“For those who do not have insurance our plea is that people should remember that insurance is not those who have a choice or those who can afford. Insurance is a prevention and a protection when you suffer from the eventuality, things you didn't know about and you didn't prepare for,” she explained.

“Just as we all come together to support each other when we suffer a challenge, insurance is the way we do it, that we all come together contribute our small quota so that when people suffer we can support them.”

She added that the industry will take “pragmatic steps” to encourage more people to take insurance so they can be part of the solution.

The commissioner also extended condolences to flood victims and commended all those participating in the cleanup.

“We are praying that next time we will be more prepared as a nation, as people, as individuals for this flood when it comes or for the rains when it comes next,” she said.

Mr Seth Kobla Aklasi, Managing Director of Ghana Reinsurance PLC, debunked the perception that insurers do not pay claims.

“These days people think that insurers don't pay claims but then it's the fact that insurers are competing rather on who pays their claims as quickly as you put in the claim,” he said.

He urged property owners to insure their homes and offices, noting that premiums are more affordable than people think.

“If you have an asset worth a million cedis you're just paying 2,000 cedis for 12 months to cover it. In times like this that we do have floods and then people's fence walls are falling over, you could easily get compensated as a result of that minimal amount that you have paid,” he explained.

The industry also announced plans to activate Corporate Social Responsibility programs to support flood victims.

Mr Gideon Ataraire, Managing Director/CEO of Impact Life Insurance, said the lesson from the floods is to plan ahead.

“Why are we always thinking about this after the event? Maybe this is a lesson for us to plan against 2027 because we know there's going to be another rainy season. Clean up your area as a street, clean up as an organisation, help your employees and direct your CSR to the members of the public especially in the areas where you work,” he encouraged 

He added that if organisations, individuals and government work together, “we will be able to tackle this monster that we are facing.”

The insurance industry’s participation forms part of the nationwide two-day flood aftermath cleanup exercise directed by President John Dramani Mahama.