The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), through its global Insurance and Risk Finance Facility (IRFF), and in collaboration with Ghana’s National Insurance Commission (NIC), has officially opened a five-day innovation bootcamp for ten promising finalists in the Inclusive Insurance Innovation Challenge (3iC).

The event marks a bold step forward in Ghana’s and UNDP’s shared mission to build inclusive financial systems that protect the most vulnerable from economic and climate shocks.

Backed by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the 3iC initiative forms part of UNDP’s global efforts to democratize insurance and risk finance, especially for low-income populations, informal workers, climate-affected households, and other underserved groups who remain excluded from traditional financial protection systems.

The workshop is designed as a hands-on acceleration programme.

Over the course of five days, the finalists, comprising student innovators, social entrepreneurs, and technology startups, will receive intensive mentorship, capacity building, and advisory support to refine their inclusive insurance prototypes for market deployment.

Opening the challenge, Ghana’s Acting Commissioner of Insurance, Dr. Abiba Zakariah, urged the young innovators to think beyond products and embrace their roles as drivers of transformation.

“You are not just problem-solvers, you are changemakers. Be bold, be creative, and help make inclusive insurance a household concept in Ghana.”

The first day of the bootcamp set the tone with a series of dynamic and thought-provoking sessions.

Participants were guided to rethink traditional insurance models and shift toward human-centred approaches rooted in empathy, accessibility, and resilience.

Abdul-Rashid Abdul-Rahaman, Head of Micro and Inclusive Insurance at NIC kicked off the technical sessions with a deep dive into the meaning of inclusive insurance.

“Inclusive insurance isn’t charity. It’s smart, purpose-built protection for those who need it the most but are often left out of financial systems.”

Dr. Amina Sammo, UNDP Ghana’s National Coordinator for IRFF, took participants through the process of designing “Inclusive Insurance Personas,” helping innovators build detailed profiles of their target users, from smallholder farmers to informal sector workers and persons with disabilities.

“When we design with empathy, we go beyond statistics to dismantle hidden barriers and build truly impactful solutions,” she said.

In a session titled Ethnographic Tools for Innovation, Stella Jonah, Head of Supervision at NIC encouraged participants to dive into the cultural and behavioural contexts of their target communities.

“If we don’t understand how people live and trust, our policies will remain irrelevant.

Inclusion starts with listening.”

Wrapping up the day, Gideon Atairaire delivered a compelling presentation, Mapping the Invisible Majority, using data-driven insights to unpack the intersection of climate vulnerability, gender inequity, informality, and disability.

“Data that doesn’t represent the excluded leads to policies that ignore them. What we measure shows what we value.”

The workshop’s impact was immediately visible. “I came thinking about product features, but now I’m focused on people.

This has changed my whole perspective,” said Kwame Appiah, a finalist.

Fellow participant Afia Owusu added, “The ethnographic tools session made me realise how trust, language, and culture impact insurance uptake.

It’s not just about selling a policy, it’s about building relationships.”

Coordinated by Rita Apau, Head of Insurtech at NIC, the 3iC workshop will continue through the week with sessions on regulatory frameworks, investor readiness, disaster risk financing, and sustainable business modelling.

Participants will also benefit from one-on-one coaching and peer review sessions designed to prepare them for real-world impact.

As part of its global mandate, UNDP’s Insurance and Risk Finance Facility works with governments, regulators, and innovators to embed risk financing and insurance solutions into national development strategies.

The 3iC programme in Ghana is a shining example of how inclusive innovation, nurtured locally and backed by international cooperation, can drive resilience from the ground up