If audacity and tenacity is a person, Abimbola Mercy Onakomaiya, the 15th President of the Professional Insurance Ladies Association (PILA) would be the one, a resilient woman who has never been afraid to reform and build a generation of women set out to break glass ceilings.

Thus, when Onakomaiya, who is also the MD/CEO Peakthrust Insurance Brokers Ltd, had her Valedictory lecture as the outgoing president of PILA, high profile men and women from all and sundry showed up at the Red Carpet Hall at Oniru Victoria Island during the week.

The guest speaker, Professor Lere Baale, CEO Business School Netherlands, spoke about the valedictorian’s legacy of power and purpose. He said: “Mrs Onakomaiya is a true reflection of competence combined with character.”

Baale, implored the next generation looking forward to making impact, to seek transformation in little jobs through discipline. “Complainers do not create the future, reformers create the future. Legacy is expensive, it costs comfort and convenience and Madam Onakomaiya has left a legacy in the association.”

Remarking, Madam President, “In the past two years of my tenure as PILA president, I have given and gained; finishing well and finishing strong is just the grace of God. It has something to do with being focused and tenacious but the grace of God is paramount and so, I cannot belittle it. I just want to thank God for his goodness. My two years journey as PILA president has been a learning call for me and for all the excos and all the women concerned. It’s been wonderful. I think my biggest achievement is making the insurance and banking industries, and all other ancillary industries without which insurance wouldn’t be playing a good role, especially the oil and energy sector, fully aware of the pivotal role of insurance. I know that signing insurance into law, especially the ones that are compulsory would actually help individuals and give them a soft landing whenever it comes to the bearings of risk. We’re risk managers, we’re professionals. I’ve been in the industry for over 40 years, and so the insurance sector is ready to go places now and I want to say that this is the beginning of better things to come.”

On how far the industry has come, Mrs Onakomaiya said: “When President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed into law the Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIRA) 2025, PILA immediately took the bulls by the horns and have been working assiduously with the chartered Insurance Institute; the National Insurance Commission; Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers and the Nigerian Insurance Association to ensure that it comes to pass.”

Speaking on what it means to be PILA President for two years, Madam Onakomaiya said: “I think it’s just a question of leadership. Leadership is a continuum; you cannot say that you’ve led to the end. I’m just the fifteenth president, and you build according to pattern, and then God doesn’t lack ideas. So, the next person is going to step into my shoes and also get ideas from the industry, from the finance industry and other industries where insurance is pivotal. I’m sure Dr Joyce Odiachi who is going to be sworn in as the next PILA President on June 26, 2026 is going to do well, and dare say she’ll do better. I’ll be removing this chain and giving it to her.”

When asked what’s next from here on? She replied: “I’m 66-year-old, I’m going to be 70 soon so it’s very important for me to dot the I’s and cross the T’s financially. I want to leave a legacy not only for my children, grandchildren but also for the insurance industry.”

The event also featured recognition awards of invaluable contributions given by the valedictorian to appreciate everyone who supported her during her tenure as PILA president. Some of the awardees are: wife of the former Governor of Ogun State, Chief Mrs Olufunsho Amosun, Yeye Moremi Odua; Managing Director, FCMB, Mrs Yemisi Edun; the Commissioner for Insurance and Chief Executive Officer of the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) in Nigeria, Mr. Olusegun Ayo Omosehin; Executive Director Sahara Energy Temitope Shonubi; Special Adviser to Lagos state Government on Climate Change, Mrs Titi Oshodi amongst others. Also present at the event was the past President PILA Mrs Yetunde Adenuga.