Photo: GodwinPaya, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0How to complain in Nigeria
How to complain about an insurer in Nigeria (NAICOM)
Short answerChecked 31 October 2026
Complain to the insurer in writing first. If it does not resolve the problem, send your complaint to NAICOM using the complaint form on naicom.gov.ng or by e-mail to complaints@naicom.gov.ng, with the policy details, the nature of the complaint and supporting documents. NAICOM's Service Charter sets 7 days for simple complaints and 90 days for complex ones. NAICOM says it intervenes in genuine claims disputes once you have followed the insurer's own process.
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- Write to the insurer (or broker or HMO), keep copies and note the date. Ask for the reason of any refusal in writing.
- If unresolved, write to NAICOM: complaint form on the website or complaints@naicom.gov.ng (NAICOM FAQ).
- Attach what NAICOM's Service Charter lists: a formal complaint letter, a copy of the policy, evidence of premium payment, the insurer's acknowledgement of your claim notification and the claim form you submitted, plus the evidence of the loss (police report, medical report, photos, loss adjuster's report, hospital bills or death certificate, as relevant) (NAICOM Service Charter, p. 19).
- NAICOM's head office: Plot 1239, Ladoke Akintola Boulevard, Garki II, Abuja, +234 (09) 133 923 456, info@naicom.gov.ng; Lagos control office and zonal offices in Kaduna, Kano, Ilorin, Port Harcourt and Enugu (NAICOM offices).
Health, pensions and work injury complaints
- HMOs and NHIA programmes: the HMO, then NHIA (info@nhia.gov.ng, the "Complaint" category of its contact form): see NHIA.
- Group life: the insurer, then NAICOM, copying PenCom (guidelines §9.3–9.4).
- Work injury: NSITF, toll-free 0800 223 0400: see NSITF.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I report an insurance company to NAICOM?
Use the complaint form on naicom.gov.ng or e-mail complaints@naicom.gov.ng with the policy details, the nature of the complaint and supporting documents, after complaining to the insurer first.
How long does NAICOM take to resolve a complaint?
Its Service Charter sets 7 days for simple complaints and 90 days for complex complaints.
Can NAICOM make my insurer pay a claim?
NAICOM says it intervenes in cases of genuine claims disputes, once you have followed the insurer's complaint process. Its 2025 circular directs insurers to settle genuine claims promptly, fairly and adequately.
Sources
- NAICOM — Frequently asked questions (complaints, licence checks)
- NAICOM — Service Charter (October 2026): handling complaints, page 19
- NAICOM — Our offices nationwide (head office and zonal offices)
- NAICOM — Circular NAICOM/I&R/CIR/60/2025: mandatory prompt settlement of claims and enforcement of compliance with statutory third-party motor insurance (6 March 2025)
- NAICOM and PenCom — Revised Guidelines on Group Life Insurance Policy for Employees (1 September 2020; Pension Reform Act 2014, s.4(5))