Dr. Abiba Zakariah appointed new Commissioner of NIC

President John Mahama has appointed Dr. Abiba Zakariah, a seasoned insurer and former Chief Operating Officer of WAICA Reinsurance Corporation, as the acting Commissioner of the National Insurance Commission (NIC).

Dr. Zakariah officially began her role on February 17, 2025, taking over from Michael Andoh.

With over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, Dr. Zakariah is also the founder and Managing Director of Strategist Consortium, a management consulting firm.

She resigned from her position as Group COO at WAICA Reinsurance Corporation in 2024, a company owned by members of the West African Insurance Companies Association, with global operations.

Dr. Zakariah holds a BSc Hons. Degree, an MBA from the University of Ghana, Legon, and a PhD in Management Studies from the Swiss Management Centre. She is a Chartered Insurer and a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute of the UK and the Institute of Risk Management Professionals in Ghana.

Industry experts highlight Dr. Zakariah’s immediate challenge of addressing the low insurance penetration in the country. She is expected to introduce new policy measures and incentives to encourage growth within the sector. Additionally, there have been calls from market players for a review of the minimum capital requirements for insurance companies.