BAS Insurance Brokers has inaugurated MAYA, a low-tech-enabled insurance product on WhatsApp to enables car owners have easy access to car insurance policy from their phones within 24 hours.

Ms Patricia Maigida, Chief Operating Officer (COO) BAS Insurance, said this at the inauguration of the product on Monday in Abuja.

According to her, the product is an easy and convenient WhatsApp chatbox solution that saves time and money in accessing insurance.

“MAYA is just an easy and convenient WhatsApp chatbox solution and distribution channel for quick and easy access to insurance.

“One of the problems of insurance in Nigeria is the distribution channels that are limited, so this is us creating a distribution channel added to the ones we have in existence.

“With your phone, you can now get your car insured.

“We believe this innovation will deepen the insurance penetration in Nigeria by cutting down on the long process of getting insurance policy,” she said

Maigida said the initiative to use WhatsApp was due to its common usage by majority of phone users and car owners.

She said that with the product car owners need not download another app, but only save the MAYA number as a contact on their mobile device.

“Once you have MAYA as a contact on your phone, all you need to do is to chat Hi and the system is smart enough to respond asking what you want; whether a question to renew vehicle insurance or to get started.

“Once you click, you follow the processes.

“It can help you access your car chassis number in your vehicle, upload the car image and your driver’s license and immediately you will get your insurance policy number and certificate.

“The same process applies to making claims also. You click and follow the process to make claims; upload necessary documents and claims which may be gotten in not more than 24 hours,” Maigida said.

Mr Mordecai Gbaratu, Lead Marketing, BAS Insurance Brokers, said the product had been carefully studied to effectively meet its targeted market audience and evolve the insurance eco-system within a short time frame.

“MAYA brings the conversation back to consumers; enables them experience insurance on a platform with baseline quality in terms of service delivery.

“I am proud we are putting our best foot forward and we hope Nigerians embrace the opportunity of being one step ahead of unplanned uncertainty with everyday living,” he said.

On his part, Mr Aroh Kenneth, Principal Manager Licensing and Regulation, National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) said that the innovation was a welcomed development to the insurance eco-system in the country.

“It is no longer news that technology has come to stay in the business space, and it did not elude the insurance eco-system.

“One of the insurance strategic goals is to encourage innovation and this is one of the areas we need to develop.

“With innovation like this, one can get insurance certificate particularly the motor aspect, from the comfort of their homes,” he said.

Ms Ifesinachi Okpagu, the Chief Marketing Officer, Heirs General Insurance, said the innovation and partnership with BAS Insurance Brokers was significant especially in promoting digital insurance.

“We believe that every Nigerian should have access to insurance, and this is one of the ways to drive our mission and partnership. As the first digital insurance company this is a win for us,” she said.

Okpagu said the product aligned with Heirs insurance study and proposition on insurance policy and urged stakeholders to support its sustenance.

The representatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) lauded the innovation and commended the insurance group for striving to make car insurance quick and easy for car owners.

The MAYA insurance chatbox, through the WhatsApp Application, enables users to effortlessly navigate their insurance journey from purchasing policies to making claims from the comfort of a phone.