Heirs Insurance Group has won the Africa Sustainable Futures Award for leveraging digital technology and multilingual artificial intelligence to expand access to insurance in Nigeria.
The group received the award in the Critical Infrastructure (Non-Energy) category at the closing ceremony of the 2026 Africa Summit in London on October 22. The award is organised by the Financial Times in partnership with the World Bank Group’s Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency.
The category recognises private-sector initiatives that strengthen essential infrastructure and improve livelihoods through sustainable and scalable solutions.
According to the company, the recognition highlights its efforts to address barriers to insurance adoption, particularly among underserved communities with limited access to conventional insurance services.
A key component of the initiative is Prince AI, which the group describes as Nigeria’s first multilingual generative artificial intelligence insurance assistant. The platform uses artificial intelligence and local-language capabilities to help users understand insurance products and access relevant services more easily.
The initiative complements the group’s other distribution channels, including its USSD platform, mobile application and bancassurance partnerships, which are designed to reach customers with different levels of access to digital services.
Heirs Insurance Group said its technology-driven initiatives had extended insurance access to more than three million people, demonstrating the potential of digital distribution to broaden participation in Nigeria’s insurance market.
The company also highlighted its customer service strategy, which includes a commitment to settle validated claims within 48 hours. The pledge is intended to help individuals, families and businesses obtain financial support promptly when unexpected events disrupt their livelihoods or operations.
Commenting on the award, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Heirs Life Assurance, Niyi Onifade, said the recognition affirmed the group’s efforts to make insurance more accessible and reliable.
“This award is a powerful validation of our commitment to making insurance simple, accessible and reliable for every Nigerian. For too long, millions of people have remained outside the formal insurance ecosystem, leaving them vulnerable to financial uncertainty. We are using technology to help change that reality,” he said.
Onifade said the combination of digital innovation, artificial intelligence, multilingual services and customer-focused distribution was helping the group address longstanding obstacles to insurance adoption.
“By combining digital innovation, artificial intelligence, multilingual capabilities and customer-centric distribution, we are addressing traditional barriers to insurance adoption and bringing financial protection closer to the people who need it most. Our mission is to demonstrate that inclusive insurance can be delivered at scale without compromising the quality of the customer experience,” he added.
Insurance remains an important component of financial inclusion in Nigeria, as appropriate coverage can help households and businesses manage unexpected expenses, property losses and other financial shocks.
Digital platforms and simplified product information can help insurers reach new customers, although broader adoption also depends on affordability, public trust, suitable products and efficient claims settlement.
Heirs Insurance Group is the insurance arm of Heirs Holdings, a pan-African investment company with interests across 24 countries and four continents. Its operations comprise Heirs General Insurance Limited, Heirs Life Assurance Limited and Heirs Insurance Brokers, serving individual and corporate customers across Nigeria.
The group said it would continue combining digital distribution with an expanding retail presence to widen access to insurance and encourage greater participation in the formal insurance market.
