Dr Usman Jankara Jimada is the Deputy Commissioner (Technical Operations) at the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), Nigeria’s insurance regulatory authority. He provides strategic leadership for the regulation, supervision, and technical oversight of one of Africa’s largest and most complex insurance markets, supporting Nigeria’s economic development and financial inclusion objectives.
In his role, Dr Usman Jankara coordinates NAICOM’s Technical Division, overseeing core regulatory functions including supervision, inspectorate, market conduct and consumer protection, innovation and regulation, actuarial services, corporate governance, and the Lagos Control Office. He plays a central role in formulating and implementing prudential standards, risk-based supervision, reinsurance oversight, and market conduct policies that shape industry stability and growth.
A Chartered Insurance Practitioner with over 20 years of experience, Dr Usman Jankara is widely recognised as a leading insurance regulator and reform strategist. He holds a PhD in Business Administration, with research focused on stakeholder management and insurance penetration, alongside an MBA and professional qualifications in insurance and risk management. His career reflects a rare blend of technical depth, policy leadership, and institutional transformation expertise.
Dr Usman Jankara has been instrumental in several landmark regulatory reforms in Nigeria. His early contributions include reducing insurance broker licensing turnaround time from weeks to days, strengthening the Oil and Gas insurance framework, and enhancing reinsurance cession regulations to improve treaty security and efficiency. He later led wide-ranging institutional reforms, including the harmonisation of regulatory returns, consolidation of prudential and market conduct guidelines, and the establishment of quality-assurance mechanisms to improve regulatory consistency and decision-making.
As Head of Corporate Strategy and Special Duties, he led the development and implementation of the Commission’s 2021–2023 Strategic Plan – widely regarded as the most successful in its history. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he anchored critical regulatory engagements that ensured business continuity and market stability, and he facilitated strategic partnerships to advance ESG integration, Risk-Based Capital reforms, and insurtech innovation.
Appointed Deputy Commissioner by the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2024, Dr Usman Jankara is one of the architects of the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA) 2025, the most transformative legislation in the sector’s history. He has led the conclusion of the first phase of Risk-Based Supervision, coordinated the development of Nigeria’s Risk-Based
Capital framework, issued the Solvency Control and Intervention Framework, and championed the Guidelines for Insurtech Operations – positioning Nigeria as a forward-looking insurance
regulatory jurisdiction in Africa.
Dr Usman Jankara continues to lead the implementation of NIIRA 2025, with a strong focus on corporate governance, consumer protection, claims and complaints management, ethical standards, and digital innovation. He has undertaken executive training with leading global institutions and is known for principled leadership, strategic clarity, and a deep commitment to regulatory excellence and industry development.
