GCR upgrades NEM Insurance to AA+ (NG) with stable outlook

GCR Ratings (GCR) has upgraded NEM Insurance Plc’s national scale financial strength rating to AA+ (NG) from AA(NG), with the outlook maintained as Stable.

The renowned agency said the rating upgrade reflects the sustained strengthening in NEM Insurance Plc’s (NEM or the insurer) competitive position within the non-life insurance segment, supported by a sound financial profile that is characterised by robust risk-adjusted capitalisation, adequate liquidity and good earnings capacity.

It maintained that NEM remains a leading insurer within the Nigerian non-life insurance segment, accounting for an estimated market share of 10 percent in 2024. NEM’s insurance revenue grew by 88.0 per cent to N98.0 billion (USD63.1 million) in 2024, underpinned by its strong brand franchise, established record of accomplishment and well-entrenched relationship with brokers.

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Additionally, it said the firm’s revenue base is well diversified, with four of the eight lines of business each contributing over 10 per cent of insurance revenue. Looking ahead, the insurer is expected to strengthen and maintain its leading position in the non-life insurance space while the planned expansion to the life business could further support business diversification over the outlook horizon.

NEM maintained a sound earnings profile over the review period, supported by sustained growth in insurance revenue, profitable underwriting and strong investment income. In this respect, the net incurred loss ratio improved to 28.5 per cent 2023: 33.6 per cent) reflecting benefits of scale efficiencies, translating to a normalisation of the combined ratio to 86.6 per cent in 2024 (2023: 100.5 per cent; 2022: 88.8 per cent) and compares favourably with peers, GCR posited.

It noted that the investment yield remained strong at 18.9 per cent, supported by a high investment portfolio allocation to fixed income securities amid the high-interest-rate environment.

It is submitted that consequently, profit after tax improved considerably by 125.8 per cent to N29.9 billion (USD19.3 million), resulting in a robust return on revenue of 43.1 per cent in 2024 (2023: 35.7 per cent.)

The insurer’s ability to maintain a strong earnings profile while sustaining competitive gross premium growth and diversifying into longer-term lines that pose significant expense strain represents a key rating input over the medium term, it said.

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Andrew Ikekhua, managing director, NEM Insurance Plc said the upgrade confirms the firm’s strategic underwriting process and sustained profitability, stressing that the company would continue to offer robust insurance services to policyholders in line with its core values and vision, which is to be the provider of choice for healthy insurance solutions.

The outstanding performance of NEM Insurance Plc has continued to gain recognition, as its Managing Director was recently recognised among the Top 25 chief executive officers (CEOs) in Nigeria.

He was rated as one of Nigeria’s outstanding corporate leaders at the prestigious BusinessDay Top 25 CEOs Awards held in Lagos.

The underwriter emerged as the ‘General Insurance Company of the Year’ at the 2025 Almond Insurance Industry Awards. The company won the category among other nominees, a significant recognition of excellence within Nigeria’s insurance sector.

NEM Insurance Plc also emerged winner of the Sectoral Leadership Award – Financial Services Insurance category at the prestigious 2025 Pearl Awards.

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GCR Ratings stated that the Stable Outlook reflects its expectation that NEM will sustain its market position, supported by business expansion and diversification in line with strategy. “We also expect risk-adjusted capitalisation and liquidity ratios to be maintained above 1.7x and 1.5x respectively over the next 12-18 months, while earnings strengths could moderate due to expense strain from onboarding longer-term products,” it posited.

On rating triggers, the agency submitted that an upward rating movement could result from sustained earnings strength that improves capitalisation and liquidity metrics to above 2x despite the planned business expansion, accompanied by solid capital management strategies.

Modestus Anaesoronye is a leading Nigerian financial journalist with over two decades of experience reporting on the insurance and pension sectors across Nigeria and West Africa. He has held key editorial positions at major national media outlets, including The Comet, The Nation, and Financial Standard, and currently serves as a Senior Financial Analyst at BusinessDay Media Ltd.

A widely travelled reporter, he has covered industry developments in more than 14 countries across Africa and Asia.

Anaesoronye is a multiple award-winning journalist, honoured several times as Insurance Journalist of the Year and Pension Journalist of the Year by recognised industry bodies, including PensionScope and the Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria (PenOp), among others.

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