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Travel insurance and the COMESA yellow card in Nigeria

Travel insurance and the ECOWAS Brown Card in Nigeria

Home, business & travel2 min read · Reviewed on by the Tulinde editorial team · how we check facts

Short answerChecked 31 October 2026
Since NAICOM's directive of 28 July 2026, under section 103 of the Insurance Industry Reform Act 2025, every motor insurance policy issued or renewed in Nigeria — third-party or comprehensive — must automatically include an ECOWAS Brown Card, the regional motor insurance card, with no separate application or payment; its number must appear on your policy and certificate. Travel insurance for trips abroad (medical expenses, delays, luggage) is a separate policy sold by licensed insurers.
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Answers come from the law, the regulator and the insurers' own documents, with the source under each answer. General information, not advice.

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The ECOWAS Brown Card

  • Every motor policy issued or renewed in Nigeria, including third-party and comprehensive, "shall automatically be accompanied by a valid Ecowas Brown Card".
  • "No insurer shall require any person to make a separate application or request for a separate payment for the issuance of the ECOWAS Brown Card."
  • The Brown Card number and a notice of your entitlement must be written into the policy and the certificate.

Source: NAICOM directive of 28 July 2026. NAICOM's third-party premiums were already "inclusive of Ecowas Brown Card" (rates circular). If your insurer asks you to pay extra for it, complain: how to complain.

Travel insurance for trips abroad

Several licensed insurers publish travel products on their own websites: AXA Mansard lists business and tourism, student and pilgrimage protection (AXA Mansard); Leadway lists business, pleasure or studies, pilgrimage and an "arrival pack" (Leadway); AIICO lists travel insurance among its individual products (AIICO). Ask for the policy wording: medical limit, evacuation, exclusions for pre-existing conditions. The embassy of your destination decides what insurance a visa requires.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the ECOWAS Brown Card?

The motor insurance card of the ECOWAS region, valid in member countries. In Nigeria it must come automatically with every motor policy, at no extra cost (NAICOM directive of 28 July 2026, section 103 of NIIRA 2025).

Do I pay extra for the Brown Card?

No. NAICOM forbids insurers to ask for a separate application or payment; the card's number must be on your policy and certificate.

Sources

  1. NAICOM — Directive NAICOM/TD/MCCB/MCP/INS/004: automatic issuance of ECOWAS Brown Cards for all motor insurance policies, section 103 of NIIRA 2025 (28 July 2026)
  2. NAICOM — Circular NAICOM/DPR/CIR/46/2022: new premium rates for motor insurance, effective 1 January 2023 (22 December 2022)
  3. AXA Mansard — official website: products, contacts (seen 31 October 2026)
  4. Leadway Assurance — official website: products and group companies (seen 31 October 2026)
  5. AIICO Insurance — official website: products, contacts, head office (seen 31 October 2026)

Same guide in other countries

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Regulator in Nigeria: NAICOM

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