If 10 Nigerian business owners were asked how their year was business-wise, the answers would be diverse due to location, scale, industry, etc.

However, one thing we are certain would be consistent across the board is that Nigerian businesses struggled immensely in 2024. Especially small businesses.

Keeping a business afloat amid one-of-a-kind inflation, a plunging exchange rate, a petrol price surge, irregular power supply, and a general plateau of consumer purchasing power, is not for the faint-hearted.

Some businesses made a painful decision to discontinue operations due to these conditions. On the other hand, many Nigerian businesses have stuck to their guns and preserved them.

Wherever you fall on the spectrum of this as a business owner, please know that we are in awe of your bravery.

2025 is on the horizon and the handwriting on the wall is clear; businesses must be innovative to thrive and prosper in the coming year. Change is necessary.

In this blog post, we recommend five impactful actions for small businesses now in preparation for 2025.

Reevaluate Your Business Plan and Strategy

Nigeria’s business landscape is changing rapidly, and businesses can only survive by changing too.

Business owners need to champion a 360° overhaul of their business strategy, tweaking it to reflect the current realities of their industry and customers.

For example, if you are a gadget vendor that previously operated on a cash-and-carry basis, an integral part of your new strategy should be a partnership with a BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later) provider for potential customers who may need it.

Go Ham on Advertisement

Maybe not on LED billboards all over your city, but you must be heavily invested in advertising your business in 2025.

Many small businesses gain traction from repeat customers and referrals, so little to no effort is put into advertisement for customer acquisition.

If you struggle to identify what type of advertising your business should engage in based on your target audience and budget, the first thing you need to do is create a survey that you’ll share with your existing and potential customers to get all the answers you seek.

You can get started and create your survey here.

Get Insurance

In 2022, Gbenga Ismail, the Vice President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), revealed that only 0.5% of small businesses in Nigeria have business insurance coverage.

That number has plateaued over the last two years because SMEs don’t prioritize insurance and consider it a luxury.

As the business landscape in Nigeria evolves in 2025, it becomes increasingly pertinent for SMEs to have insurance coverage - especially business and health insurance.

With state government mandates on employee health insurance and insurance-dependent financing opportunities for SMEs, small businesses with insurance have an unfair edge over the ones without it.

If you are in search of an excellent insurance provider that offers you affordable, flexible, and reliable business insurance, Casava is perfect for you.

You can get started here today!

Invest in Partnerships and Networking

A recurring mistake many small business owners make is neglecting networking because of the perception that it is reserved for more established businesses.

When small business owners network, they discover other businesses with complementary services or products that are valuable to their business.

This is how many successful partnerships are born.

In 2025, seize any opportunity to join a business-related community or association and attend trade fairs and other events where businesses are present.

Try Something New

There are many constraints on doing business in Nigeria, which causes many SMEs to conduct their business linearly, never thinking outside the box.

That needs to stop in 2024! Creativity is necessary for success in business in 2025.

Spend time analyzing your customers in totality - their needs, wants, and aspirations.

This way, you’ll discover inexpensive and minuscule ways to elevate customer satisfaction or improve brand perception.

So, It’s Up To You

According to the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN), SMEs account for up to 48% of Nigeria’s GDP and are responsible for up to 50% of the nation’s industrial employment.

Your small business is important.

Scaling your business in the new year is very feasible. You just have to start preparing now!

Anita Ukah has been crowned the winner of the revolutionary "Her Money, Her Power" task featured on the Big Brother Naija reality show.

The task, a vital component of The She Tank and BellaNaija's campaign to promote women's economic power challenged housemates to understand the critical distinction between women's empowerment and economic power and deeply explore the issues hindering gender equality in Nigeria.

Broadcast live on the #BBNaija show on September 30th, the "Her Money, Her Power" task ignited a national conversation on social media.

The hashtag #HerMoneyHerPower trended at the top of X (formerly Twitter) for 10 hours and dominated Google Trends throughout the day and into the next.

The campaign recorded over 300 million impressions across various social media platforms, highlighting the power of entertainment and media to drive social change.

Ukah's winning performance, marked by a compelling podcast, a thought-provoking drama presentation, and a powerful speech, resonated with audiences.

She demonstrated a profound understanding of women's multifaceted challenges in achieving economic independence and innovative solutions to strengthen their financial influence in the country. 

Not only did she win bragging rights for emerging tops at a major BBNaija challenge, but according to reports, Anita also secured a juicy cash prize and the opportunity to make a real impact in the movement for women's economic advancement.

The 'Her Money, Her Power' campaign, far from being a one-time event, continues to drive conversations and advocate for change. It empowers women to take control of their financial destinies and contribute to a more inclusive and thriving society.

This ongoing commitment ensures that the audience remains engaged and involved in the movement for women's economic advancement.

Continue the conversation across all social media platforms using the hashtag #HerMoneyHerPower

Once upon a time, it was almost taboo for women to work and earn money in Nigeria. Many women had no access to anything that could be financially beneficial to them. Time passed and women advocated for themselves, earning the liberty of controlling their finances through the trade of various goods and services.

But that wasn’t enough. 

Women needed something to fall back on if they lost their ability to earn and were back to square one. Insurance was that thing. The consequences of financial instability are tougher for women because it makes them more vulnerable to life's adversities.

Insurance is one of the few things that improves the lives and finances of women in such situations.

For the #HerMoneyHerPower campaign by SheTank and BellaNaija, we spoke to five women who shared their experiences on how insurance helped them reclaim their power financially. 

Ebele, 30

When I was 19, my father died suddenly in an accident. He was the breadwinner of his extended family so I and my siblings were not too surprised when certain uncles and aunts started hovering over his properties. Eventually, they seized most of everything my dad had and left us with the ones they thought were used as collateral for business loans. 

I was angry about the situation but I was more confused by my mother’s reaction during the entire ordeal. I couldn’t understand why she didn’t put up a fight, especially because we had just been plunged into penury overnight and were just staying afloat on her savings. 

One evening, my mum informed me and my siblings that some money had come in from my dad’s life insurance payout. We were not aware that my dad had life insurance so the amount was jarring.

That money opened doors for my family, allowing each of us to achieve important milestones. I was able to finish university, relocate out of Nigeria, and get a great job simply because of it. 

Judith, 28

Immediately after my NYSC in 2015, I told my family that I wanted to start an onion business in Lagos instead of getting a job at a bank as everyone expected of me as a banking and finance graduate. I had served in Sokoto where I observed how people were doing this business so I was confident I could do it too.

My capital was my life savings which was a little over N1M so this business needed to work out. I had no plan B.

My family supported my decision but they had so many concerns. My older brother only asked that I get goods-in-transit insurance. At the time, I thought it was unnecessary so I pushed back. I eventually did it grudgingly.

The first truck of onions I brought from Sokoto did well without any hiccups and I was happy. Every penny I made went back into getting a second truck of onions. 

The second truck of onions never even made it to Lagos. There was a fatal accident involving my truck driver and other vehicles. Some of the onions were destroyed while the rest were scooped away by scavengers. There are no words to describe how devastated I was.

14 days later, I received a claim payout from my goods-in-transit insurer but I was too scared to try again. 

I spent three months planning how to approach the business afresh and source funds. I got nothing. I ended up using my claim payout as my new capital because that was all I had. It panned out well. This onion business paid for my first car and helped me fund other businesses. 

Yemisi, 40

My husband passed away in a plane crash on his way back home from a work trip in 2010. At that time, I had been a stay-at-home mum for five years because our three children were under 8.

My husband and I didn’t come from money and I never thought something like that would ever happen so I didn’t have any money stashed away. 

In my grief, I started thinking about what I could do to earn money to take care of my children. We had been getting by on monetary gifts from family and friends but I knew it wasn’t sustainable in the long term.

A month after my husband’s funeral, the HR manager at his place of work called me to inform me I was the beneficiary of his group life insurance policy payout so I would receive some money. 

My husband never mentioned that to me so I wasn’t expecting much. When the money came, I was so shocked that I cried profusely. It provided so much relief for me and my children.

I was able to start a business and employ people, pay for a part-time course at UNILAG, and take care of my children’s needs without begging people. I am the established businesswoman that I am today because of it. 

Mabel, 26

My three siblings and I were raised by my dad after my mum passed due to childbirth complications. I’m the eldest so I supported him a lot, especially financially. I ran a laundry business and other gigs while I was in university to make ends meet.

After I graduated, I got a job at a reputable tech startup that gave me health insurance as one of my employee benefits. 

In 2022, exactly two years into working at the startup while simultaneously operating my laundry business, I became very ill and was diagnosed with Lupus. My business was heavily dependent on my availability so when I became hospitalized, it shut down.

My income took a massive hit. 

Thankfully, the health insurance policy at my workplace covered my Lupus treatment. I didn’t pay out of pocket for any of my procedures and medications in the weeks I spent at the hospital and at home during recovery.

I’m happy because I wouldn’t have been able to pay for my treatment without running into debt.

Because I didn’t have the burden of sourcing funds to pay my medical bills, I had the mental space to think about how to restart my business and operate it in a way that wasn’t dependent on me through a partnership with a friend. It’s now a self-service laundromat in the mainland area of Lagos.

I still go to the hospital for routine checks and medicine without paying out of pocket. 

Palang, 35

I’m a 3rd generation heir of my family’s fruit farmland in Plateau, Jos. Out of 5 children, I was the only one who took an interest in farming so I was happy to take over it. When I announced it to my close friends, they were so excited for me. One of them, Debbie, advised me to get agric insurance for the farmland. 

I told her I would do it some other time because I wanted to inject all the money I had into the farm so it could scale faster but Debbie kept insisting that I got the agric insurance for the crops so I did it. Six months later, 70% of the strawberries on the farm were infected with gray mold and destroyed. 

I was very sad because I could not meet the supply demands of my clients, and the money I invested in the farm had gone down the drain. Remedying the damage done to the crops was going to cost a lot of money and I couldn’t afford it. I spoke to my friend Debbie about it and she told me to inform my insurer.

I was skeptical because I didn’t think I would get a favorable response to my claim request. 

To my greatest surprise, I got approval for my claim request a few days later. I used the money from the claim payout to fix the damage and diversify the crops on the farm so it wasn’t only strawberries anymore. I recently secured a deal as the official supplier for a fruit juice brand in March 2024. Exciting times ahead!

Everyone Win When Women Win 

The financial progress of women is primed to improve the lives of everyone around them and the nation at large. Insurance gave financial power to Ebele, Judith, Yemisi, Palang, and Mabel. It can also do the same for thousands of women in Nigeria if they are aware of the opportunity. 

This is why SheTank and BellaNaija have partnered to start a nationwide campaign named #HerMoneyHerPower to highlight all the ways women can reach and surpass their financial potential and the factors that prevent them from doing so. 

Tune into the Big Brother Naija channel on DSTV, Channel 198, to watch the #HerMoneyHerPower task and ad. Join the conversation across all social media platforms using #HerMoneyHerPower.

In the late 1990s through the early 2000s, multinational organizations in Nigeria across industries like oil and gas, FMGC, and banking, began offering their employees health insurance for themselves and their family members. 

The motive was simple; these companies were successful and wanted to improve the well-being of their staff while complying with employee welfare standards in the West.

Nigerian corporations that were equally as successful as the multinationals at that time took this as their cue to offer health insurance benefits to their staff. 

So it stuck and became the standard.

The Standard Dwindled

In 2010, many medium-sized corporations in Nigeria stopped offering health insurance to their employees. The few ones that did reserve it for managerial staff only. 

Tech startups began gaining traction around this period. At first, many of them didn’t offer health insurance to their staff due to cost constraints but as soon as they got funding, it was one of the initiatives they incorporated.

This was one of the major reasons many Nigerian professionals jumped ship to startups. 

Money Is No Longer Enough 

The exit of major pharmaceutical companies like GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) from Nigeria is one of the catalysts for the skyrocketing cost of healthcare.

This means that even professionals earning healthy six or seven-figure salaries are one health crisis away from debt unless they have HMO coverage.

Employees often come out of that situation with a new motivation to ship their talent to a different company that will give them health insurance benefits alongside a decent salary.

For some, this might even mean an initial pay cut with prospects for upward review but they don’t mind.

Recruiting managers in Nigeria have pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 as when they noticed it became difficult to hire experienced professionals for companies that don’t offer health insurance as an employee benefit.

Health Insurance for Employees: The Law > Perk

In July 2024, the Lagos State government passed a new law that mandates every employer of labor within the state to provide health insurance for their employees.

Businesses that fail to comply with this new law risk being unable to access all state services. Read our post below to learn more about it👇🏾

With this new law, organizations can no longer operate seamlessly without providing HMO for their staff, and it is no longer an exclusive perk for managerial staff.

Protect The Ones Who Keep The Lights On

Acquiring and retaining employees whose skills, insights, and hard work keep a business thriving is important. So is the well-being of those employees.

If they struggle with their health and it trickles down to their finances, it becomes detrimental to their performance at work.

With Casava, employers can offer their staff inexpensive health insurance coverage without worrying too much.

Visit casava.com to learn more about Casava’s health insurance plans, and send all inquiries about staff health insurance by Casava to hello@casava.co or 07025004444 on Whatsapp.

If you are a business owner in Lagos State, there’s a new rule that directly impacts your access to essential services.

According to Science Nigeria, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has issued a directive that requires all residents and employees to enroll in the state health insurance plan or with accredited private providers.

What Does This Mean for Employers and Employees?

Under this new rule, if you need to access services from any government office in Lagos—whether it’s getting a driver’s license, registering your business, or even just renewing a document—you’ll need to show proof of health insurance with the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA) or a private insurance provider.

This means employers are now mandated to provide health insurance coverage for their employees, including domestic ones.

A Healthy Workforce is Necessary

The essence of this law is to ensure that everyone in Lagos, especially the working population in Lagos has access to healthcare when it’s needed most.

It also aligns with the Lagos State Health Scheme Law of 2015 and the National Health Insurance Act of 2022, which aim to ensure everyone in Lagos can get affordable medical care.

Where to Get Health Insurance for Your Staff

Casava offers inexpensive health insurance plans for individuals and family units that you can buy for your staff without breaking the bank.

Starting at N1,350 monthly, our smallest health insurance plan offers benefits not limited to:

• Yearly consultation with specialist doctors

• Minor surgeries at no cost

• Access to authentic and subsidized medication

Protect Your Business and Staff with Casava

If you are interested in subscribing to any of our health insurance plans for your employees, please visit casava.com to do so.

We are happy to help you choose the best plan for your employees. Please email us your questions at hello@casava.co or call 07025004444.

Let’s help you keep your business compliant and your staff safe.

Artisans are superhero adjacent. At least, to some people with jobs that require them to be behind desks and laptops from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. 

They do the things that many people are either too afraid or unbothered to do, they have flexible schedules, and sometimes make impressive amounts of money. 

Just like every other profession, there are risks associated with being an artisan.

The most prominent one that nearly all artisans have in common is sustaining fatal injuries on the job frequently. 

In this blog post, five artisans in Nigeria tell us their work accident story. 

Segun, 28, Electrician 

I install bulbs and other electric appliances in people’s homes and offices so climbing is a normal part of the job.

When COVID hit and the lockdown started, I couldn’t go anywhere to work so I was broke. 

As soon as the lockdown was lifted in May, I went back to work but I noticed that I was fidgeting a lot.

A client’s wife also noticed and joked that my village people were disturbing me. I laughed but I was secretly concerned. 

In July, I think my village really meant business because I fell while installing a chandelier and needed stitches on my leg.

I spent a lot nursing my injuries and recovery took a while but I’m fine now.

Kaffy, 30, Hairdresser

I have been making hair since I was in secondary school. After I graduated, I decided to go and learn how to do it professionally instead of going to university.

My family was against it but when they saw that I was very serious, they started supporting me. Two years later, I rented a small shop.

Aside from the occasional needle injury, I never sustained any notable injury while plaiting hair for my customers until 2022. I made braids for a customer and she became anxious when it was time for the hot water part.

I told her it would be alright if she stayed still. 

As soon as she felt the steam from the hot water bowl I was holding her braids in, she jumped up and the water poured on my hands and legs. I had very painful blisters from the incident and couldn’t work for about two weeks. 

It’s been two years and I still say a silent prayer before I put anyone’s braids in hot water. 

Mariam, 26, Kitchen Assistant 

I work at a popular canteen in Lagos and I help with ingredient preparation for the meals. So you’ll find me chopping vegetables, peeling yam, or just cleaning up after the chefs.  

In February 2024, a colleague lifted a pot of stew without napkins and dropped it when it burnt her hands. I was standing next to her so it poured on me. 

The burn injuries I sustained were terrible. I was in and out of the hospital for several weeks afterward, spending my savings. After I returned to work, I was reluctant to work close to where the pots were for a while. 

I give the colleague who dropped the pot side eye sometimes. 

Ebuka, 23, Water Supplier 

I came to Lagos in 2021 to work and live with an older family friend as a Nwa Boy - an apprentice.  I noticed that some houses in the estate where my Oga’s house is don’t have clean water and there was nobody to supply it to them.

I told him that I wanted to start doing that for some extra money. 

He thought it was a good idea and gave me an old keke napep to use in delivering the kegs of water. I used to do my runs twice daily, 4:00am to 7:00am and 7:00pm to 9:00pm. 

The first time I got injured on the job, it was from a fall at a customer’s house during one of my 4:00am runs. I scraped my hand and sprained my leg. I still get injured from tripping on things at people’s houses when I go to give them water.

 I wish my customers would just pity me and clear their floor before I come.

Conclusion

Every artisan deserves optimal protection from the risks they are exposed to while working. Health Cash insurance by Casava ensures that you are reimbursed for what you spend at the hospital to treat injuries sustained at work. 

Visit casava.com to learn more about Health Cash. 

Tell us about your school life

I was in art class in secondary school. Towards the end of that, I started thinking about the best course to do and I settled on Law. 

It wasn’t that it had to be Law. It was more like why not Law? So I went and studied Law at Unilag for five years. It was a fun journey. 

I voluntarily interned at a couple of law firms so I knew what being a lawyer was like, and I quickly realized that I wasn’t cut out for it. 

By the time graduation came around, I couldn’t see myself practicing law.

Lawyers in the mud 🫠

Don't get me wrong. Many lawyers are living well but the majority of them are not living as comfortably as they would like because law firms are in tiers. 

Tier 1, 2, 3. The lower the tier, the more underwhelming the pay is. 

If you're not part of that one percent doing all the great things, you might not enjoy it as much. 

As a law student, you knew people in your class who were probably going to make it to that one percent.

You didn’t think you could be part of the one percent? 

Not exactly. I mean, my grades were decent in school so I could have managed to get on that route but it just wasn’t for me. 

I dabbled into a lot of creative extracurricular activities in university and during my internships - one of which was at a top law firm. 

Because I was just an intern, I wasn't assigned core tasks. My job was to read case files or tag along whenever the lawyers were going to court. 

That experience really put things in perspective for me. I got to see what that lawyer life entailed and I just thought to myself that I couldn’t strive for it. 

Fair enough. So, what happened next? 

I started trying to figure out what aligned best with my interests - what I really wanted to do. Along the way, I got an opportunity to work at a new company. 

It was very random but I was open to it. I asked about what roles they had available and they said Customer Experience (CX) was. 

And I said cool, let’s do it. I didn’t know what I was getting into. 

Daring move. What was CX like for you? 

The first few months I spent working in CX solidified things for me. 

I enjoyed it because I’m the kind of person who is always selling something, so talking to people and dealing with the challenges that come with that has always been one of my strong suits. 

Also, the feeling of fulfillment I get when I resolve an issue that customers have is great. I really liked that. 

When another opportunity came to do the same thing at Casava, I thought why not? And here I am. 

Lovely! Many people think CX is repetitive. Do you? 

I don’t think it is repetitive. Especially because every customer has their own flavor of problem. That’s what makes it interesting. 

It’s even more interesting when you are in an industry like insurance, where there are very specific details that you must know. That means you learn a lot on the job and it’s fun that way. 

So no, CX is not repetitive.

Awesome. Tell me about your typical day at Casava as a CX professional

I listen to customers tell me their problems or questions and I resolve those things for them to the best of my ability. Once I’m finished speaking to them, I inform the right team about what was said so it can be resolved. 

I constantly need to make sure that the customers are satisfied and happy with Casava. 

I genuinely enjoy being able to really help the customers that I interact with. It makes me feel good that I helped someone else feel better than they did before speaking with me.

That sounds cool. What are some of the skills that you believe are necessary for success in CX?

The barrier to entry to CX as a career is very small. So getting in is smooth but staying there is a different ball game. 

Firstly, great communication skills and emotional intelligence are a must-have and they have to be top-notch. 

Trust me, they will come in handy in understanding customers, answering their questions tactfully, and pre-empting problems. 

Secondly, you might encounter some intense customers so you obviously need to be level-headed 

Thirdly, knowing how to handle data is necessary. You don’t need to have extensive data analytics knowledge. Just the basic data administration is fine. 

Sweet! What do you enjoy the most about your job at Casava? 

At Casava, you can only learn by doing things. Some of it might be new so you might be thrown off sometimes but you will figure it out. It’s not rocket science. But hey, who knows, you might be able to solve that too. 

Lol, thank you, Tolu! 

Peace ✌🏾

You can join the barn too!

We are on the lookout for exceptional and interesting people to join us in achieving some of the exciting and transformational things that we do at Casava. 

If that sounds like something you'd like to be a part of, click here. 

Family covertly teaches us values like empathy, kindness, and generosity through daily interactions. Generosity informs sharing. As a child, sharing might not be fun. Nobody wants to share their snacks or toys.

But when you become older, you realize that the trivial things you shared with your family members prepared you for sharing the important ones - time, money, knowledge, and other useful resources.

In this blog post, we talk about five things that every family should share more with one another to deepen their bond. 

• Pets 

Do you know how some families have pet dogs or cats that have been around for a long time and are now part of the family tree? Yes, every family needs to experience that. 

Having a pet that everyone in the family loves and shares the responsibility of nurturing will cause your togetherness and teamwork ratings to skyrocket.

Additionally, the beautiful memories that each member of the family has with the pet make it so wholesome!

• Joint Hobbies 

Spending time with family can be therapeutic. Doing an activity that everyone enjoys equally during that time makes it even better. 

You can build out a jigsaw puzzle, bake pastries, watch a movie, or plant some flowers. Joint hobbies are crucial for families to do because it enables them to learn more about each other and every participant leaves feeling happy and relaxed. 

• Fitness and Health

Everyone knows that fitness is necessary for a healthy life. However, some people need an extra push to get involved. That’s why doing fitness and health-related activities with family members is highly recommended. 

A sibling could be your gym buddy. You could do yoga on weekends with another sibling.

You could share smoothie recipes that you discovered online with your parents and make them together for everyone else. 

Sharing a family health insurance policy is also great for families.

Access to annual check-ups, specialist consultations, and preventive care gives families something to look forward to and reinforces the importance of fitness as a unit. 

Casava’s family health insurance plans make it possible for families of two to seven individuals to get optimal health care with affordable and convenient premium rates and durations.

Contact hello@casava.co via email or call 07025004444 for more information. 

• Family Projects 

Family projects can be serious or laid back, depending on the goal. It could be planning a parent’s birthday party, coordinating a sibling’s graduation get-together, or repainting the family home’s sitting room by yourself.

Whatever it may be, all hands are on deck. 

Responsibilities are assigned to each member of the family to ensure that the project is completed as hitch-free as possible. If you are looking for the perfect opportunity to allow your family members to share their strengths and knowledge, this is it.  

• Outings and Trips

Pause the boys’ and girls’ trips for a while. Family trips are back in vogue! Planning and embarking on trips with your family members is a thrilling and underrated way of sharing your time with them.

Get involved in location research, itinerary planning, accommodation sorting, flight booking, and much more. Studies have shown that many people feel refreshed and lighter after they return from their family vacation. 

So, share more 

Sharing is a value that is passed down faster in families because family members are our first exposure to other humans. It requires love, patience, empathy, and trust. That’s why sharing is important to us at Casava. 

We hope that more beautiful families make the decision to share a Casava family health insurance plan that protects their health and gives them the freedom to engage in all of the enjoyable activities above and more. 

Tell us about your school experience

I studied civil engineering at the University of Benin (Uniben). My brother told me about the course and it seemed quite interesting.

I was meant to go to the university that year and I knew that my chances of getting in would be a lot better if I chose that course so I did. 

By the time I graduated five years later, I knew I wasn’t going to practice. 

Oh… Why? 

During my time in school, I became more involved in content development, writing, marketing, and other creative things.

The more I did these things, it made me more certain that this was what I was supposed to do. 

NYSC solidified everything for me. I served in Bayelsa with the military. They were constructing a barrack so I was helping with that.

I enjoyed working on the theory aspect of things for that project but one time, I was onsite and under the sun, I knew it wasn’t something I wanted to do long-term. 

That’s understandable. So what did you do after Bayelsa?

I got a job at Redot Digital  - a digital marketing agency - as a Content Specialist. I developed content for brands like Morning Fresh and Premiere Cool. It was great.

I worked there for a while until I got another job a Koolboks, a manufacturing company based in France. They were producing solar energy refrigerators. 

I was responsible for content and fundraising at Koolboks. That was my introduction to the world of social impact fundraising for brands. 

Exciting! How much have you raised for brands so far? 

A little over $4 million since 2020. 

Star girl 🚀 How did you discover Casava? 

So the first time I heard about Casava was during the COVID lockdown. The company was promoting its job loss insurance product called Income Protection.

I thought that the product was a very cool and interesting solution that the job market needed. 

Four years later, Casava is hiring for a Social Impact Manager and an ex-colleague refers me. I went through all the hiring stages and here we are today. 

What do you consider to be the most difficult part of being a social impact fundraiser for brands?

I would say it's managing the expectations of C-suite executives. Social impact fundraising cycles last as long as 3 months, 6 months, and even, a year.

It's dependent on the organization you are working with, the stakeholders involved, and the timeline of their assessment. Ultimately, a lot of patience is required.

That's something many C-suite executives struggle to come to terms with at first but once they do, it's smooth sailing from there on.

Awesome. What’s your job like at Casava? 

I’m the Social Impact Manager at Casava and what that entails is spotlighting the impactful things that the organization does for people and the environment.

This makes the company a worthy candidate for impact partnerships and funding for projects. 

It’s not a walk in the park but I’m very passionate about what I do and I’m reliable so I’m sure I’ll do great things here at Casava. 

Do you have any advice for those who want to join the barn? 

Oh, yes. Casava is a great place. You’ll learn a lot and build capacity. So just visit the Career page on Casava’s website and you’ll see everything you need to know - from benefits to open roles. It’s all there. 

Simple as ABC. Thank you Ufuoma

Thank you too. Bye!

You can join the barn too!

We are looking for exceptional and interesting people to join us in achieving some of the exciting and transformational things we do at Casava. 

If that sounds like something you'd like to participate in, you can click here. 

What was school like for you?

I studied at the Yaba College of Technology. It was a nice experience that went by pretty quickly.

Sweet! So what happened next?

So some of my course requirements included a three-month internship, and then a one-year internship.

I wanted to do my three-month internship at FBN General Insurance because my uncle knew the M.D.

When that didn’t work out because the FBN took too long to get back to me, I went to work at the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). It was a wonderful experience. 

When it was time for the one-year internship, there was an opportunity for me at FBN. 

Finally! How did it go at FBN?

It was absolutely brilliant actually!

I think working at FAAN prior made me appreciate the environment at FBN more. The way work is done at a government institution is totally different from how it’s done at a private institution. 

Managers sending interns on errands to buy food for them was a thing. None of the managers asked me to go and buy food for them but there was always a possibility. 

It stopped when the M.D. noticed that a particular intern was going to Chicken Republic up to three times a day. He was bothered so he called the intern and asked him why he was eating that much. 

The intern then explained to him that a manager sent him to go and buy the food. That evening, the M.D. called a meeting with all managers and sternly instructed them never to send interns on errands again.

Through that incident, nearly 80% of all of us who were interns that year began actual careers in insurance because we actually got involved in insurance work and were impacted. 

All thanks to Chicken Republic lol

Yeah, all thanks to Chicken Republic for real.

How do you find working at insurance companies?

So far in the insurance space, I have worked at Sanlam and a broker called SCIB Nigeria and Co., arguably the biggest broking firm in the country.

I worked at SCIB for two years then I moved to Sanlam where I worked for another three years. 

Now, I’m at Casava. I've basically done a broker, an insurance company, and now an Insurtech. I have a very rich career.

And a rich bank account lol

I don’t know about that, oh.

So how did you get to Casava?

I have a friend who had worked at Casava before me. When I received an email from the HR team at Casava about my current role, I messaged my friend to find out if he knew anything about it. 

He said he was the one who forwarded my CV to the HR team and told me more about the company. The rest is history. 

Friends that put you on >>> What was your interview process like?

So the first two interviews were virtual and then I had a physical one. When I walked in, I liked Casava’s office space. When I saw the size of the team, it scared me a bit because I had worked at traditional organizations prior. 

I knew what to expect and I also wanted that challenge. I just thought that Casava was cool and after my conversation with the COO, I left thinking ‘Let’s give this a shot.’

Read our blog post on Asthma

So, this is your first start-up. How different has the experience been? 

The difference is massive actually.  In traditional companies, there is a structure that gives clear expectations for everyone there. You know exactly what you're going to do every day. 

Startups on the other hand are a bit more chaotic in the sense that everything is still being built and you are part of that process. So you’ll have to advocate more for the things you believe in, there is a lot of experimentation, and you just figure a lot of things out by yourself until it works. 

But yeah, everything is different. Even the management style is different.

That sounds exciting. What do you enjoy the most about working at Casava?

I think the challenge that I envisioned is what I like the most about working at Casava. You don’t know what problem you’ll be resolving today or what team you’ll be collaborating with tomorrow to launch something new. 

I think the spontaneity at Casava is something I look forward to and it has stretched me. I have had to go out of my comfort zone several times.

Before I joined Casava, I wasn't a natural at sales but now, I’m considering sales because I’ve had to engage people and I think I’m good at it.

It’s simply because I’ve had to do it sometimes at Casava. 

I was on my way to play football one evening when someone threw a basketball in my direction for me to take a shot. I just watched the ball roll away because my rationale was I don’t play basketball so there was no need to try and catch it. 

That’s an example of how I don’t engage with what I don’t already know. You can’t do that at Casava because when the task demands for you to do something new, you find creative ways to execute it. And I consider myself to be a creative person so yeah, working at Casava has made me more creative in my approach to problem solving. 

That’s amazing Ola. Finally, what’s your advice for people transitioning from traditional companies to startups?

Hmm… I haven't really thought about that before but from my experience so far, I’ll say you first need to be ready to change your mindset. 

Your mindset drives everything so if you're stuck with the traditional mindset, you will struggle. Adjust your mindset to adapt to any new organization or industry you find yourself in. That way, you are ready for anything and everything.

Secondly, you need to keep an open mind and be flexible. Traditional organizations set you on a clear career path and it’s easy to feel like you can’t do other things excellently. Startups challenge you to rediscover yourself so you can harness skills you might not have realized that you had.

It might be overwhelming at first and that could be frustrating but if you have an open mind and are flexible, you’ll be alright. 

Solid advice! Thank you Ola 

That’s what I do. You are welcome lol. 

You can join the barn too!

We are looking for exceptional and interesting people to join us in achieving some of the exciting and transformational things we do at Casava. 

If that sounds like something you'd like to participate in, click here. 

Many people complain about stress daily because of work, financial constraints, or traffic. If you are one of them, you need to find a resolution. 

In this blog post, we talk about 5 coping mechanisms for stress management. But first, let’s understand what stress and its accompanying symptoms are. 

What is Stress? 

Stress is the physical, mental, or psychological response to perceived danger, attention, or action. It can be triggered by a positive or negative experience, like a new job, or health conditions.

What does it mean to be stressed?

We respond differently to stress depending on the situation. When we are faced with stressors, we experience a variety of symptoms like headache, tiredness, pain, lack of concentration, irritability, and sometimes insomnia.

When faced with threatening situations, the body releases cortisol and adrenaline hormones that trigger the fight or flight response leading to heightened alertness, increased heart rate, and muscle tension.

While this response is essential for survival, prolonged exposure can lead to physical and mental health complications.

What are the Symptoms of Stress?

• Physical Wearout 

Stress could manifest physically through constant headaches, heartburn, fatigue, muscle tension, digestive issues, disrupted sleep, and high blood pressure.

• Emotional Imbalance 

When a person is stressed, their emotions become unregulated. This often shows up as mood swings, depression, anxiety, sadness, frustration, anger, and fear.

• Odd Behavioural Changes

Loss of self is one of the most common signs of stress. People experiencing this might become withdrawn from family and friends, have difficulty sleeping, or consume food or alcohol excessively. 

• Reduced Cognitive Abilities

Cognitive skill is the brain's ability to complete simple and complex tasks. Stress, especially chronic stress, can prevent the brain from functioning at optimal. 

This causes forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, and poor judgment.

The 5 Ways to Effectively Manage Stress

Understanding how to manage your stress is crucial if you want to enjoy life. When stress is not properly managed, it escalates and causes other illnesses. 

Here are 5 ways to effectively manage stress.

• Know your Stressors 

Stress affects everyone differently. It could be work, money, or even relationships. When you recognize the source of stress, you can eliminate or cope with it. 

It’s okay if you are unable to get rid of some stressors. You’ll just need to develop coping strategies to manage them.

• Prioritize your sleep 

Sleep is an underrated yet effective way to manage stress. Doctors recommend eight hours of sleep daily. Sleeping would help to calm the body, reducing anxiety and stress, and improving your stress tolerance. 

• Exercise frequently and eat well. 

If you maintain a healthy lifestyle, you can manage stress better. Exercising frequently and eating balanced meals do a lot to reduce stress levels. 

Physical activities like yoga and swimming promote the release of endorphins, the chemical hormones the body releases during pleasurable activities such as exercise, massage, and eating. 

Endorphins have been linked to reduced stress levels and overall good health.

• Take a break 

Not taking breaks, especially from work, can trigger stress in some individuals. 

Taking time off to avoid burnout from constant work and reduce stress levels is important.

• Prioritize good relationships 

Having good relationships with friends and family elevates happiness, health, and overall quality of life. 

The presence of friends or support groups can help immensely with stress and depression. When you share your feelings and concerns with individuals you trust, you gain emotional support to navigate challenges better. 

Conclusion

Stress is a part of life and we all experience it differently. However, to truly enjoy life, you must find creative ways to keep your stress at bay. 

Invest in your health to manage stress by eating and sleeping well, exercising frequently, and spending quality time with loved ones. 

Finally, ensure that you are subscribed to one of Casava’s health insurance plans for access to regular checkups, affordable medication, and specialist consultations. 

Take care of yourself 🩷

But first, you must understand that you are not alone. 

Millions of people like you worldwide are unaware that they have some form of anemia. In this blog post, we discuss anemia, its types, different causes, symptoms, and treatment options. 

So, what is Anaemia? 

Think of the body as the renowned Eko market in Lagos, Nigeria. For sellers in the market to conduct their business smoothly, each must receive a package called oxygen. The package has to be delivered to each seller’s store using delivery bikes called the blood. 

Who drives these delivery bikes? They are dispatch riders, also known as red blood cells. But dispatch riders don’t work alone. They enlist the help of hemoglobin, which takes the oxygen from them to the sellers in their respective stores. 

Anemia occurs when there are not enough red blood cells or hemoglobin to help disperse oxygen in the body. When this happens, fatigue becomes the norm, and other health issues arise. 

What types of Anemia exist?

• Iron-Deficiency Anemia 

As the name suggests, iron-deficiency anemia is caused by the body's lack of or a low level of iron. Iron must be present for the body to produce hemoglobin. In the absence of iron, the body becomes unable to produce hemoglobin sufficient for red blood cells. 

• Vitamin-Deficiency Anemia 

Cobalamin and folate, also known as vitamin B12 and vitamin B9, are pertinent to the development of red blood cells in the body. Vitamin-deficiency anemia is often associated with an unbalanced diet or other low-iron-related illnesses. 

• Chronic Disease Anemia

People with terminal illnesses like renal disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS, heart failure, and others are usually the ones affected by chronic disease anemia. The disease slows down their body, disrupting the production of red blood cells. 

• Hemolytic Anemia

When a person has an autoimmune disorder, blood disease, or infection, it could make their red blood cells more volatile than normal. Hemolytic anemia then occurs because the red blood cells in the body churn more quickly than they are produced. 

• Aplastic Anemia 

Aplastic anemia is a fatal and rare condition that causes the body to not produce enough new blood cells. Similar to hemolytic anemia, autoimmune disorders, infections, and toxic chemicals are some of the common causes linked to aplastic anemia. 

What are the causes of Anemia? 

The causes of anemia vary from person to person. However, some of the most common causes of anemia are: 

• Not eating a balanced diet causes the absence of nutrients like vitamin B12, iron, vitamin B9, and vitamin E, which trigger anemia. 

• Terminal illnesses like renal disease, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and autoimmune disorders can drastically reduce the production of red blood cells. 

• Genetic terminal conditions such as sickle cell anemia disrupt hemoglobin production and red blood cell health. 

• Situations that cause immense blood loss, like severe injury or surgery, could cause anemia. 

What are the symptoms of Anemia? 

Anemia manifests differently in people, depending on the cause and the severity. However, some of the most common symptoms are: 

• Constant fatigue and weakness

• Dizziness 

• Difficult breathing 

• Cold hands and feet

• Chest pain

• Constant headache

• Pale skin

How does one deal with Anemia?

Dealing with anemia begins with getting an accurate diagnosis. If a person suspects that they are anemic, they would have to do a complete blood count (CBC) test to verify the body's red blood cells and hemoglobin levels. Other tests that might be prescribed to find out the type and cause of anemia a person has include: 

• Vitamin B12 and folate levels

• Bone marrow biopsy

• Serum iron test

• Terminal or genetic illness test

Once a diagnosis is ascertained, treatment becomes the focus to effectively manage the anemia one has. The prescribed treatment depends on the type and severity of the anemia a person has. Some of those treatments include: 

Medication and Procedures

If a patient has chronic disease anemia, doctors could recommend drugs that aid the production of red blood cells or that treat the illness that causes the anemia.

For severe types of anemia like aplastic anemia, procedures like a bone marrow transplant or blood transfusion might need to be carried out.  

Lifestyle Overhaul 

Persons with iron-deficiency anemia are usually advised to change their lifestyles to treat their anemia. This includes eating food rich in iron, folate, and vitamin B12. 

People with anemia benefit from taking supplements such as folic acid tablets, vitamin C, vitamin B12, and iron supplements like ferrous sulfate. 

Prioritizing rest and stress-free activities is also highly recommended to anemic people who struggle with constant fatigue. 

Ultimately, take care of yourself. 

Anemia is arguably one of the most common and often overlooked medical conditions, even though it depreciates the quality of life of those affected by it. 

Make exercise, rest, a balanced diet, and supplements the norm in your daily life. Buy a health insurance plan from Casava to enable you to see doctors about your symptoms and do check-ups for easy diagnosis of anemia. 

Finally, if you have a useful tip for anemic individuals, please share it in the comments section. 

Leave a comment

The history of insurance in Nigeria is a long and intricate one that is intertwined with the nation’s colonial ties circa 1918.

The existence of various pioneer insurance organizations, the disparity in industry standards, the high barrier of entry, and regulatory problems are some of the issues that made insurance puzzling to many Nigerian business owners so they avoided it.

The merging of the internet and technology is the reason for the existence of smartphones, computers, websites, apps, and more. All of these also help to transform the average Nigerian business owner’s beliefs and experience concerning insurance.

There has been a slow and steady adoption of insurance by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria over the past six years. Here are four reasons why that is happening:

• The Rise of Insurtech Corporations

Insurtech is the combination of insurance and technology. Nigeria has seen a significant rise in the number of insurance companies that use technology to drive their premium subscription and claims payout processes through interactive websites and apps.

Technology also lowers the barrier of entry for small businesses into the insurance market by making it seamless to purchase an insurance premium from wherever they are in the country using a smartphone or computer.

• The Bridge That is Social Media

It is the norm for organizations to have accounts on multiple social media platforms. Insurtech corporations have been leveraging this to educate SME owners about the unfair advantage that insurance gives them.

Social media has also been used to drive the adoption of insurance premiums curated for SMEs and to resolve their customer complaints quickly without any physical interaction.

Other strategic tactics for growth that insurtech companies are exploring via social media for SME customer acquisition and retention are strategic partnerships with online community leaders,  business-related CSRs, etc.

• Affordability

Minimising cost is important to every business irrespective of its size. However, it is more crucial for SMEs that operate on minuscule budgets.

For decades, insurance premiums for businesses were expensive and rigid, so small business owners perceived it as a costly expenditure that they did not want to incur.

Insurtechs like Casava are revolutionizing the insurance industry with cost-effective business insurance products like Business Gro that protect SMEs from unforeseen circumstances such as flood and fire for less than N1,000 monthly while giving them access to loans and grants to scale their business.

• Transparency Equals Trust

One of the problems that plagued the Nigerian insurance industry for decades was a high level of distrust due to illicit practices such as bogus claims payout, baiting, and more.

Nigerian insurance companies were collectively losing up to ₦30 million annually to these issues whilst combating a rapidly growing apathy for insurance amongst Nigerians.

These issues are being eradicated because the infusion of technology into insurance processes has made small business owners more receptive to the notion of adopting insurance as a risk management tool.

SMEs can use products like Bloom by Casava on a smartphone to renew their premium subscription, file claims, and receive payments seamlessly.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that the digitization of the Nigerian insurance industry in Nigeria has been a major catalyst for its adoption by small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The existence of digital products that power insurance premium subscriptions and claims payouts without human intervention, social media, interactive websites, and a lot more have enhanced the overall customer experience of SME owners seeking insurance coverage.

Technology has also given insurtech organizations access to data that tells them the needs of SMEs at a time, affording them the flexibility to add complementary new products that cater to those needs.

What are your thoughts about the digitization of the Nigerian insurance landscape? Kindly share them with us.

Social media platforms have become an undeniable force that bridges the gaps of accessibility and molds the ideals of millions of people in different facets of life. Healthcare is not left out.

Self-diagnosis based on the consumption of online content has steadily become customary. There have been mixed sentiments about this.

Content creators whose niche is medical content are being commended for making health information accessible and actionable while monetizing their content and endorsing health products.

In the same vein, these content creators have been chastised and scrutinized for propelling potentially untrue information that endangers the health of their undiscerning audience.

The Bandwagon Effect of OCD, ADHD, and PCOS

Over the past decade, the number of people who have self-diagnosed themselves with mental health disorders such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has increased rapidly.

Similarly, a significantly rising number of women claim to have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) but have not been diagnosed with it by a gynecologist, endocrinologist, or reproductive endocrinologist.

Several studies have shown that individuals conclude that they have these conditions because they google their symptoms, leading them down the rabbit hole of blogs and digital health communities where those symptoms are discussed and associated with that condition.

Additionally, content creators who might not have a background in medicine produce videos on platforms like TikTok where they gentrify health conditions through shared personal or third-party experiences.

They identify symptoms, share coping mechanisms or tips, create products, or recommend and sell the products of another brand to their audience with the goal being to tackle the health condition.

Due to social media algorithms, the content that these creators produce and publish could potentially go viral across other social media platforms, facilitating global reach and appeal.

Although they have not been diagnosed by a doctor, people convince themselves that they have the exact health condition that the content creator describes.

They join the creator’s community because it is trendy and other people who seem to have the same condition are doing so too.

Self-Diagnosis to Misdiagnosis

Misdiagnosis is the most prominent disadvantage of self-diagnosis influenced by the consumption of viral content on social media.

Several illnesses and conditions have similar symptoms that make it difficult for individuals to make an accurate diagnosis without consulting a medical doctor and undergoing the necessary tests.

For example, one of the most common symptoms of PCOS is irregular periods. Irregular periods are also linked to pregnancy and other female reproductive health conditions like Endometriosis and Fibroids.

Therefore, diagnosing PCOS and commencing any form of treatment based on irregular periods is wrong and risky.

The consequences of misdiagnosis can be fatal. Studies have shown that the health condition of individuals who indulge in self-diagnosis, misdiagnose themselves, and receive incorrect treatment has a higher risk of worsening.

Curbing Self-Diagnosis

Self-diagnosis is a societal issue that is being displayed on social media as a DIY solution to illnesses and other health conditions. These are some of the actions that can be taken to curb it or drastically reduce it:

• Affordable Health Insurance

Access to health care is still considered a luxury in many parts of the world.

Creating affordable health insurance products/premiums like Casava’s Health Insurance and Health Cash premiums will encourage more people to seek out doctors when they notice worrisome symptoms instead of self-diagnosing and treating themselves at home to avoid financial inconveniences.

• Regulation of Medical Content Creators

More responsibility should be put on social media platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, and others to implement extra measures of verification for medical content creators.

This will ensure that they are educationally qualified to give medical counsel and are publishing accurate information.

• Popularize Telemedicine

Telemedicine is the use of electronic and telecommunication technology by medical personnel to render medical consultation to an individual in need of it.

More hospitals and medical doctors should encourage the adoption of Telemedicine to bridge the gap of convenience that self-diagnosis offers.

Conclusion

Social media is one of the greatest unfair advantages of this era. The power it wields to positively influence every aspect of mankind is phenomenal. The buzz around self-diagnosis will decline sharply as more medical institutions collaborate on initiatives that promote health literacy and encourage consumers of healthcare content to be discerning.

The advocacy for women’s empowerment and equal access to opportunities has gained significant momentum over the past five years.

Industries like technology and engineering have been applauded for initiatives that advance women financially and professionally.

However, the insurance industry is often overlooked in that conversation.

Since the 1960s, women have used insurance as a risk management tool to sustain their businesses in the face of adversity.

Although technology and social media have aided the popularity of insurance amongst women in recent times, more emphasis needs to be placed on the role of insurance in empowering and stabilizing women - especially financially.

Insurance catalyzes women’s empowerment in the following ways:

• Financial Preservation

The prevalence of gender roles in present-day society shows that although more women are advancing professionally and contributing financially to their households, there is still a disparity in their earnings in comparison to their male peers.

As a result, these women usually do not have enough disposable income to rely on if the breadwinner of their household is terminally ill or passes away.

Insurance benefits cushion the financial effect of such unforeseen circumstances, giving women the support that will stabilize them financially.

• Enabling Opportunity Exploration

Being ambitious and accessing aligned opportunities is important for women to evolve economically.

Unfortunately, women are sometimes unable to harness these opportunities because they do not have a safety net that is strong enough to protect them in case things do not go as planned.

Having insurance coverage propels women with the confidence to explore their ambitions and opportunities seamlessly.

A vivid example of insurance’s impact is a lawyer's calculated decision to take a break from her career to monetize her baking hobby by starting a confectionery business.

A business insurance policy is one of the first things she invests in this new venture.

This ensures that even if the business does not scale due to unforeseen circumstances, she does not walk away empty-handed.

Additionally, fintech investment opportunities with embedded insurance have made investments less daunting and more seamless for women.

Women who do not have an abundance of disposable income but desire fail-proof investment and wealth-building avenues often gravitate towards this.

• Heightened Knowledge

Through many of the covert benefits of different insurance policies, women gain insight and information that come in handy later.

For example, an insurance provider could offer its business insurance customers free in-depth training on Companies Income Tax (CIT).

Female business owners who are beneficiaries of that training will apply the knowledge gained to better structure their internal CIT. They could also do it for other businesses in exchange for a fee.

This is one of the several ways that the insurance industry empowers women with extensive financial literacy, heightening their knowledge for them to thrive in their endeavors.

• Debt Coverage

Several studies have shown that men are better positioned for loan approvals because they often have better cash inflows than their female counterparts.

Women, on the other hand, find it more tedious to secure personal loans or funding to scale their businesses.

The adoption of debt coverage insurance policies by more women could significantly even out the playing field, improving their chances of accessing loans for personal or business purposes.

Debt coverage insurance covers the payments in the case that the borrower/insured is unable to make payment due to unforeseen circumstances like job loss, illness, or even death.

Conclusion

If more women get insurance coverage for their business, health, life, and other things that they want to protect, there will be a consistent surge in the collective progress of the female demographic over the next decade.

Insurance can further narrow the gender inequality gap between men and women, providing women with more stability in their business and finances, crashing the number of women in poverty, and increasing their value to their households and society at large.

Casava is making insurance enjoyable for women in Nigeria with affordable business and health insurance plans. Empower the women around you with a free health or business insurance policy at casava.com

Robbie Sinclair, the head of security at NSW Australia once said that security is always excessive until it’s not enough.

The advancement of technology and the internet has been the catalyst for the immense growth of several industries, including insurance. Data has been pertinent to the success of insurance since its inception.

Insurance corporations depend heavily on data for the successful execution of processes such as KYC information collection, policy documents, risk assessment, and claims processing.

Protecting the information of countless policyholders that have been gathered through each of these processes from threats is the reason data security is crucial within the insurance ecosystem today. .

Regulatory bodies such as The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) mandate insurance companies to tighten their data protection measures and update them intermittently, heightening the trust of policyholders in their insurance providers.

The following are five reasons that make data security important in insurance:

• Reduce Fraudulent Claims

Fraudulent claims are a challenge that has plagued several insurance organizations, causing many people to distrust and have apathy for the insurance industry.

The Nigerian insurance ecosystem loses up to 30 million Naira yearly to such claims and this sometimes necessitates an increase in the cost of insurance premiums.

Insurance firms can use analytics and algorithms to quickly discover suspicious behavior patterns by policyholders and intercept them.

This will enable them to tighten their data breach preventive measures, avoid losses, and retain customer satisfaction.

• Safeguarding Sensitive Information

Information such as driver’s license number, bank account number, home address, and phone number are classified under personal identifiable information (PII) because they can be used to identify an individual.

Individuals have to provide these personal details to insurance companies to complete the KYC process and get insurance coverage.

Insurance providers in possession of these types of sensitive information are mandated to keep this data secure to avoid the negative outcomes of a security breach such as monetary loss, sanctions from regulatory bodies, and lawsuits from policyholders.

• Fortify Systems from Cyber Attacks

New cybersecurity breaches and threats are developed by hackers daily. These hackers target the insurance ecosystem and other industries with access to sensitive information such as banking.

Insurers must be proactive in protecting their clients’ information through investment in experienced cybersecurity professionals and systems to ward off various types of attacks and carry out test attacks to ascertain loopholes intermittently.

• Efficiency of Insurance Processes

The data that insurers collate from their policyholders is useful for improving internal processes ranging from sign-up to claims payout.

When the data is secure and uncompromised, it can be trusted to provide accurate analytics into insurance product adoption, policy renewal rates, risk customer satisfaction, risk assessment, claims processing, and payouts.

Insurance companies will use the information obtained from the analytics to improve their customer and product experiences.

• Protect Trade Secret

The insurance industry has a common goal however, the sphere and strategy of insurance organizations differ from one another.

These types of data are considered to be the trade secrets that give insurers an advantage over their competitors. Insurers must ensure that this information remains confidential, secure, and far from the reach of data thieves.

Failure to do so could be detrimental to the insurer’s growth.

So Robbie Sinclair was right…

Data security is indeed always excessive until it’s not enough and that is why it is instrumental for insurance companies to function optimally. When insurers invest in extensive data security systems and cybersecurity professionals, their chances of being breached by hackers become incredibly low.

Insurance companies can thrive and protect themselves by implementing data protection technology such as encryption, two-factor authentication, and APIs into their systems, keeping their policyholders' information safe.

If you have any experience with data security strategies, tell us about them in the comments section. We would love to learn from you.

Asthma is a respiratory health condition that affects up to 339 million people in the world across all ages. However, they do not all have the same kind of asthma.

In this post, we’ll look at the types of asthma that exist, their triggers, management, and preventive tactics that could be of help to persons who have it.

What is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic lung condition that causes the airways to be narrow and inflamed. When this happens, persons affected will experience chest tightness, shortness of breath, wheezing, and other symptoms.

The frequency and severity of these symptoms vary from one person to another. There is currently no cure for asthma but it can be managed effectively so those who have it can live a healthy and happy life.

What Types of Asthma Exist?

• Allergic Asthma

This type of asthma is associated with exposure to allergens like dust, mold, pollen, and even certain foods. Although allergic asthma varies from person to person, it could be hereditary and run in families.

• Non-Allergic Asthma

Persons who have non-allergic asthma are affected by things like respiratory infection, exercise, colds, smoke, and air pollution.

Frequent exposure to any of these factors due to the nature of a person’s job could heighten the severity and frequency of their episodes.

• Exercise-Induced Bronchoconstriction (EIB)

This is also called exercise-induced asthma. The airway becomes narrow during or after strenuous exercise. Common symptoms of EIB are chest tightness, shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing.

• Occupational Asthma

Certain types of jobs expose individuals who work there to chemicals, fumes, and gas that could cause an asthma episode.

Many people who usually have occupational asthma were not asthmatic before that job, while those who were asthmatic before that job recorded more frequent and severe asthma attacks.

How Can Asthma Be Managed?

The first aspect of the effective management of asthma is an understanding of what triggers attacks.

Triggers are peculiar to individuals however, the common ones are respiratory infections, irritants, stress, exercise, allergies, medication, weather, and other environmental changes.

Deescalating asthmatic attacks quickly is the second aspect of asthma management. This involves doing things that calm the symptoms and keep the lungs functional. These include:

• Bronchodilators

Bronchodilators are also known as Short-Acting Beta-Agonists (SABAs). They are quick-relief medications that relax the muscles in the lungs and widen the airways.

Albuterol or Salbutamol is a type of bronchodilator medication that many people especially in Nigeria refer to by the brand name, Ventolin.

They are administered orally and inhaled using an inhaler. However, they can be taken as tablets, syrups, or injections.

• Long-acting beta-agonists (LABAs)

Long-Acting-Beta-Agonists (LABAs) is a medication that is used for persons whose asthma is historically severe and persistent.

Bronchodilators or SABAs are effective for up to four to six hours in comparison to LABAs which last up to 12 hours.

LABAs are also used for individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a disease that causes airflow blockage.

Studies have also shown that using LABAs with inhaled corticosteroids, leukotriene modifiers, and biologic therapies immensely soothes the symptoms of persons who have severe asthma.

• The Asthma Action Plan (AAP)

This is a personalised written plan that every person with asthma curates under the guardianship of their doctor.

It is a detailed document that consists of their triggers, medication and administration methods, symptoms, and a step-by-step guide on what should be done during an attack.

An AAP can also include a guide on proper inhaler administration techniques that aid the circulation of medication to the lungs during an asthma episode.

• Spirometry Test

Spirometry is a medical examination that tests the effectiveness of a person’s lungs through the measurement of how much air they can inhale, and exhale, and the speed of exhalation.

Medical doctors use Spirometry to diagnose asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other breathing-related health conditions.

Periodic spirometry tests are necessary to effectively manage asthma because it is the only way doctors can observe lung function to discover changes in time.

Conclusion

Asthma has no cure but it can be managed in a manner that enables those with it to live comfortably and happily.

Seek a doctor for thorough tests and a prescription of medication if you sense that you are asthmatic. This guides a medical practitioner and prevents self-medication and the potential danger it poses.

Having insurance is important if you are asthmatic. Asthma attacks are often unexpected and the circumstances surrounding an episode might necessitate an emergency visit to the pharmacy or hospital.

Health Cash Insurance by Casava reimburses you for the funds you spend getting treated in such situations. Learn more about it here.

Prioritise your health and general wellness if you are asthmatic or suspect that you might be. Take vaccines for flu and pneumonia to decrease your chances of exposure to respiratory infections.

Work out, eat well, meditate, and rest well to subdue asthma episodes and improve your overall well-being.

Be mindful of the air you inhale indoors as it is a major hack for managing and preventing asthma altogether. Clean your surroundings regularly, use an air purifier, and avoid smoke from cigarettes, cooking, etc.

If you are asthmatic or know someone who is, please share any tips that they have found helpful in caring for themselves.

Life insurance involves the payment of a sum of money to the beneficiary of the insured when they pass away or due to terminal illness.

Many people believe that only breadwinners should have life insurance, seeing as their passing could have a catastrophic effect on their family financially. However, this should not be the case.

Today, the contribution of stay-at-home moms (SAHMs) within families across the globe cannot be overlooked. Their role is undermined because there is no direct financial contribution from them to the household.

However, studies have shown that stay-at-home mothers help enable their families to save up to 35% of their overall income through daily child-rearing and running the household.

This necessitates the need for stay-at-home mothers (SAHM) to have life insurance. Their value within the family unit and in society at large transcends monetary value because their absence could have a devastating impact on their loved ones emotionally and financially.

Some of the reasons stay-at-home mums should have life insurance are:

Financial Stability

Everything that a stay-at-home mother does within their household might seem unimportant because there is no financial compensation for them.

Many families will nosedive financially due to the cost of outsourcing these responsibilities if the stay-at-home mum suddenly becomes terminally ill or passes away.

Life insurance benefits cushion the financial strain in such situations, providing the family with additional funds to outsource certain responsibilities without collapsing financially.

Debt Coverage

Due to inflation, it is common for stay-at-home mums to take out loans to support their family financially to augment the breadwinner’s earnings. Also, SAHM may have student loans that they are servicing.

A portion of their life insurance benefits could be used to pay off some or all of what they owe should they unexpectedly pass away.

This way, the repayment of their loans doesn’t become the responsibility of their spouse and other family members.

Maneuvering Income Decline

Keeping the family afloat in the absence of a stay-at-home mum is tough. Their spouse or other family members often have to absorb their role, causing them to work and earn less.

The financial benefits from the SAHM’s life insurance would ensure that the quality of life for their immediate family doesn’t depreciate.

Children’s Education Expenses

The bulk of the work that stay-at-home mothers do revolves around the education of their children. They assist their children with assignments, extracurricular activities, and their overall academic progression.

With adequate planning, funds from the life insurance of SAHMs can be allocated to their children’s education to ensure continuity.

Conclusion

Life insurance is pertinent for effective planning of the lives of stay-at-home mums. It gives them optimum reassurance that their loved ones, especially their children, will not suffer immensely financially and emotionally in their absence.

The notion that life insurance is expensive and out of reach for stay-at-home mums is why many SAHMs do not advocate for it.

We urge all stay-at-home mothers to get life insurance early so that their benefits can accumulate over time and be substantial at the point of claims.

Please share your thoughts about stay-at-home parents having life insurance in the comment section.

The apathy many youths have towards insurance can be linked to two reasons; a limited understanding of the benefits that insurance affords young people and the illusion that insurance is for ‘grown-ups’.

While it is understandable that insurance is not top of mind for young people between the ages of 18 to 25 who are focused on adventures, getting an education, and starting a career or business, the importance of embracing insurance early on in one’s life cannot be overemphasized.

Let’s take a look at five reasons insurance should be taken seriously by those who are under 25:

Preparedness for the Adversities of Life

Being youthful does not shield anyone from unexpected and fatal occurrences like terminal illness, accidents, and fires. Having insurance cushions the ripple effect of such events through the coverage of medical bills, property replacement, or the provision of cash to stay afloat or start over.

Learning Financial Responsibility

Insurance helps young people build a culture of financial responsibility early on, making it seamless to continue as they grow financially. Paying your insurance premium against all odds teaches you to be disciplined and organized financially.

Studies have also shown that persons under 25 who have insurance are three times more likely to save, invest, and amass wealth in comparison to their peers who don’t have insurance.

Age is on your side

Insurance premiums are significantly cheaper for young people because age and health are the top two factors used to determine premiums. The younger a person is, the more inexpensive premiums they can access because they are deemed as low risk by insurance providers.

If you get insurance coverage while you are under 25, you can take advantage of low premium rates and save a huge chunk of money in the long run.

Easing the Pressure of Student Loans

Due to the rising cost of quality education, many individuals under the age of 25 have been taking loans to finance their undergraduate or postgraduate education. The goal for such people is to graduate and secure a job that pays well and allows them to service their loans easily.

Loan insurance is something such students must consider. For instance, insuring student loans with Casava’s Credit Life insurance ensures that if the borrower were to unfortunately be involved in a fatal accident that causes disability or death, Casava as their insurance provider would pay off the loan on their behalf.

This would prevent the responsibility of servicing the loan from falling on their loved ones who are now their caretakers or mourning their passing.

Generational Wealth

When young people think of routes to build generational wealth and climb up the socioeconomic ladder, many of them think in the direction of investing in stocks or cryptocurrency, starting a business, and landing a well-paying job in a lucrative industry.

Very rarely do they think of insurance.

Insurance is the older generation’s best-kept secret asset for generating wealth. While products like life insurance protect the loved ones of the insured in the event of their passing, they are also a low-risk, long-term means of saving and investing.

Conclusion

Insurance might not be foremost in the minds and priorities of young adults under the age of 25, yet the power it wields cannot be overemphasized.

If young people began to take insurance coverage seriously now, they would have laid the foundation for a stable future in their thirties, forties, and beyond.

We encourage every person under 25 to embrace insurance today as the perfect risk management tool to prepare for unexpected events, develop healthy financial habits, protect loved ones, and amass generation wealth.

Discovering a breast lump while performing a self-examination at home can be frightening for anyone.

The general assumption upon the discovery of a lump is that it is cancer. However, that is not always the case because not all lumps are cancerous.

What is a Breast Lump?

A breast lump is the presence of a swelling or unusual growth in the breast tissue. Lumps can take a variety of sizes, shapes, and textures. They can be painful or painless.

Breast lumps are more common in young women but they can also be found in men. Gynecomastia is a condition that causes the breast tissue in men to grow bigger and unevenly.

The catalyst for Gynecomastia is an imbalance in the levels of Estrogen, the female hormone, and Testosterone, the male hormone.

Although some breast lumps are non-toxic, they can sometimes be a sign of life-threatening medical conditions like breast cancer.

What Types of Breast Lumps Exist?

Benign Breast Lump

A benign breast lump is the most common type of breast lump, and it is non-cancerous. Although they are non-toxic or terminal, benign breast lumps can cause those who have them a lot of pain.

Cysts

Fluid-filled sacs that are domicile in the breast tissue are called Cysts. They appear in different sizes but they are usually round and soft.

Fibroadenomas

Contrary to cysts, Fibroadenomas are tumors that consist of glandular and connective tissue. Fibroadenomas are found in young women and although they are firm, they are often painless.

Breast Cancer

In the early stage, breast cancer can show up as a breast lump. Cancerous breast lumps are hard and shapeless.

They may be accompanied by other symptoms such as nipple discharge, and disfiguration of the breast’s size, shape, and skin.

What Should You Do If You Discover a Breast Lump?

Breathe, don’t panic

Yes, finding a lump in your breast can be destabilizing, and like Angela, you might think that is the beginning of the end.

However, you have to remember that not all lumps are cancerous so remain hopeful.

Medical Examinations and Monitoring

Brace yourself for the medical examinations and tests that your doctor will have to perform to learn about the lump.

These include mammograms, ultrasound, biopsy, blood tests, and more.

While you wait for the results of these procedures, monitor the lump and report any changes or symptoms that you notice to your doctor.

Find Support

The uneasiness that comes with a breast lump can take a toll on anyone. Lean on family, friends, or religious groups to get by during that period.

Stay Proactive

Swiftly commence whatever recommended treatment or procedure your doctor recommends. Remember to also avoid unverified treatment options such as herbal concoctions.