Nigeria's National Insurance Commission has begun issuing new licence certificates to insurance companies that met its new minimum capital requirements. A total of 43 insurers have been declared compliant and are expected to receive certificates, marking the start of a phased transition to higher capital standards intended to strengthen operators’ financial capacity, solvency and claims-paying ability. The commission expects insurers to use their increased capital to improve operational efficiency, develop products and expand insurance penetration. Its next major regulatory initiative will be a Risk-Based Capital framework that aligns each insurer’s capital level with the risks in its business portfolio.