The focus of the 2026 BusinessToday Annual Conference and Exhibition will highlight the role of young people in the insurance and pension sectors, the organisers have revealed.

According to a statement made available to The PUNCH, the annual conference scheduled for 2 April is themed ‘Youth Advantage: Redefining Insurance and Pensions for a New Era’.

The PUNCH reports that the conference will take place amid ongoing recapitalisation efforts in both sectors, with operators working to meet deadlines set for this year and the next.

The convener, Mrs Nkechi Naeche-Esezobor, said that the event will feature a youth dialogue session with both sectors to discuss ‘Insurance Reforms Made Simple’. Also, on the agenda is ‘Start Young, Retire Strong: The PPP Advantage’ as a sub-theme.

Expected at the event are the Commissioner for Insurance, National Insurance Commission, Mr Olusegun Omosehin, and the Director-General, National Pension Commission, Ms Omolola Oloworaran. The regulatory agencies are expected to lead industry professionals in discussions focused on how young people can drive innovation, inclusion, and sustainability within Nigeria’s insurance and pension sectors.

Experts drawn from the insurance, pension, capital market, and information technology sectors will speak on the conference theme.

Other industry leaders expected at the event include the Chairman of the Nigerian Insurers Association, Mr Kunle Ahmed; the President of the Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria, Mr Christopher Bajowa; the President of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria, Mrs Yetunde Ilori; and the President of the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers, Mrs Ekeoma Ezeibe, among others.

Speaking on the theme of the event, Naeche-Esezobor said placing young people at the centre of sector reforms will help the insurance and pension industries build a stronger, more inclusive financial protection system.

She explained that the theme seeks to “modernise insurance and pension products to reflect the realities of today’s youth-driven economy.” With the growth of digital work, entrepreneurship, and the gig economy, the conference will promote flexible, affordable, and technology-enabled solutions tailored to young Nigerians.

This approach, she noted, is expected to close existing protection gaps and make insurance and pension products more accessible and relevant.

The conference is expected to attract over 20 speakers and more than 500 participants, including representatives from banking, technology, entertainment, content creation, and media; professionals; students from the University of Lagos, Yaba College of Technology, and Trinity University; the Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria (Lagos Chapter); and the Association of Registered Insurance Agents of Nigeria, among others.