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By Henry Uche
Old Mutual Nigeria has confirmed it would not leave Nigeria completely but would maintain a presence in the country through its investment arm, Africa Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM).
The company made this known following the acquisition of 100 percent stake by Emple Group (an investment company managed by experienced Nigerian investors with a proven track record of delivering topnotch transaction execution across sub-saharan Africa as well as growing its investment in the Nigerian market).
The 100 per cent stake acquisition in Old Mutual Nigeria, translate taking over its Life and General Insurance businesses only, pending regulatory approval. This decision, according to the insurance Group, follows a painstaking strategic review of the businesses which weighed up the immediate-to long-term prospects for both the in-country asset and the broader Old Mutual Group.
Commenting on the transaction, Old Mutual West Africa Group CEO, Mr. Samuel Ogbu affirmed, “Since establishing a presence in Nigeria in 2013, it has been our ambition to scale and grow the business in a way that would position Old Mutual as a leading financial services provider in the market. Along the way, Old Mutual made strategic investments to ensure that the Nigeria businesses remain on the right footing and were able to successfully compete.
“However, Old Mutual has taken the decision to sell the Nigeria General Insurance and Life businesses, with the key consideration for this transaction being the optimisation of capital management.”
Ogbu confirmed that part of the agreement was an undertaking by the new investors to present a clear transition plan, which includes immediate and medium-term plans for growth, together with the existing team. This means that the transition will proceed with the existing team in place, adding that Old Mutual does not foresee any impacts to the policies and relationships with its customers and stakeholders in Nigeria and will be working with the Emple Group to ensure a smooth transition. He noted that the company is in the process of communicating with our customers and key stakeholders, with assurance to offer continued excellent services.
“We see great potential in the infrastructure investment space. AIIM has had great success in the country to date, pursuing opportunities in the sub-region and beyond, through the team in Lagos. Old Mutual currently has significant investment interests in renewable energy, midstream gas, and the digital infrastructure sector in Nigeria through our various AIIM funds. Our view is long-term, and we shall continue to explore opportunities for growth,” Ogbu avowed.
Old Mutual said the group’s commitment to growing on the African continent remains firm, saying, “We returned our operations to the African continent in 2018 because of the opportunity for growth we saw then, and which we still see today.
However, this growth needs to be sustainable, in the best interests of our stakeholders and pursued responsibly. We continually assess our efforts in every market to ensure we create value for all stakeholders.”
