The 2026 Insurance Industry Fun Games have provided an opportunity for insurance companies in Ghana to strengthen collaboration, promote healthy living and deepen public awareness of the importance of insurance.
The annual event brought together professionals from across the insurance industry to compete in various sporting disciplines, including football, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, lawn tennis, and lime and spoon.
Speaking during the event, the Chief Executive Officer of Star Assurance and President of the Ghana Insurers Association (GIA), Mrs. Boatemaa Baffour-Awuah, said the games were organised to foster unity and collaboration among insurance companies while encouraging staff to remain health-conscious.
Every year, all the insurance companies meet together under the form of unity and collaboration. As part of that, we all have teams playing against each other in different sports, just to enjoy ourselves and make sure that we are all being health conscious,” she explained.
Mrs. Baffour-Awuah also urged Ghanaians to consider insurance an essential part of everyday life and to insure themselves and their assets against unforeseen circumstances.
She encouraged individuals to include insurance in their budgets, stressing that adequate insurance coverage could help protect them from significant financial losses when unfortunate events occur.
According to her, one of the key priorities of her tenure, which began in January, is to rebuild public confidence in insurance companies and strengthen trust between insurers, policyholders and other stakeholders.
She said the GIA would continue engaging stakeholders and educating the public on insurance policies, including their terms, conditions, processes and obligations.
It is important that we understand what insurance is, the terms and conditions. As an association, we are talking to our members to explain the process and the do’s and don’ts, just so that when there’s a claim, insurance companies will be able to honour that claim,” she said.
The General Manager of Finance and Administration at SIC Insurance, Kenneth Acolatse, described the games as challenging but said his team had prepared adequately for the competition.
He emphasised the importance of collaboration within the insurance industry, noting that companies must work together to improve insurance penetration and increase their impact on Ghana’s financial sector.
At SIC, we believe in collaboration. This whole game is supposed to foster oneness in the market. We’ve realised that if you look at the insurance penetration, we need to come together to be able to do more,” he said.
Mr. Acolatse further advised individuals and businesses not to take insurance lightly, particularly in view of recent floods, fires and other disasters.
He explained that insurance provides policyholders with financial support to restore their businesses and livelihoods after unexpected losses.
Every little thing comes with a risk, and that is why as insurance companies we are there,” he added.
The Managing Director of NSIA Insurance, Lorenda Deborah, said the fun games offered the industry an opportunity to relieve workplace stress, build relationships and create avenues for business networking.
She described the event as a valuable platform for insurance professionals to interact beyond the office environment and strengthen bonds across the sector.
Mrs. Deborah also sought to dispel the perception that insurance companies do not pay claims, urging Ghanaians to take advantage of insurance products to protect their properties and businesses.
Referring to the flooding that occurred on June 29, she said individuals who had insurance coverage were better positioned to recover from their losses.
Insurance does pay. People have lost property in the northern part. Some people don’t have insurance. Those that have are smiling. So I would advise that we take advantage of insurance. We should demystify the idea that insurance don’t pay. We pay claims,” she stated.
The Chief Executive Officer of Bedrock Insurance Ghana and Chairman of the Public Protection and Tax Administration Committee, Ernest Debrah, said the annual games were designed to bring insurance companies together, relieve workplace stress and promote a shared commitment to developing the insurance industry.
He described insurance as an important tool for managing the risks individuals and businesses face, stressing that people should consider insurance a necessary investment rather than an unnecessary expense.
Mr. Debrah said the industry had recorded positive developments during the year but could achieve more through the effective implementation of compulsory insurance provisions under Ghana’s insurance laws.
He noted that, beyond motor insurance, other compulsory covers including professional indemnity insurance, marine insurance for eligible imports and certain liability insurance required stronger enforcement and public awareness.
This year has been good, but it can be better. We are working on implementing the compulsory insurance we have in our Act,” he said.
He explained that the National Insurance Commission was working with stakeholders to improve compliance and ensure that more individuals and businesses benefited from the protection insurance provides.
Mr. Debrah urged Ghanaians to make insurance part of their annual financial planning, noting that the cost of an insurance policy could be small compared with the financial burden of recovering from a major disaster without coverage.