Insurance has to be one of the most important tools to have in the modern world, due to how it has the capacity to protect the people who take it. When something is insured, you can rest easy knowing that if any accident were to happen, you and your assets would be protected. And that’s why many people take out insurance on just about everything.
But then, it has also become an avenue for people to get rich quickly. Some will purposely damage their properties just so they can get the insurance claim, and others have killed loved ones because they want the insurance payout. There are so many atrocities that have been committed simply because people want more than they should have.
That’s all good, though, but all that sort of breaks apart when you come into my corner of the world. Here in Nigeria, insurance is not really a big deal. As a matter of fact, the only insurance many people have is on their car because that is required by law. However, I don’t see why, because when the car gets spoiled, you can’t get your insurance company to fix it for you. It’s almost like pulling teeth, they only know how to take your money, but when it comes to delivering the service they took the money from, it becomes static.
Funny enough, Nigeria alone doesn’t suffer from this. In other parts of the world, there are insurance companies that charge so much, yet they do nothing for their clients. Imagine paying so much money over the years because you believed you were investing in your future. Month after month, you paid off their exorbitant fees for the health insurance, but when you finally fall sick, they refuse to step in and pay off your medical debt. It’s really crazy!
But back to me… for me, besides my life and my health, I don’t think I have anything else to insure at the moment. I would have insured my car, but that one is still in my container on the high seas. The closest I’ve come to insurance is when I make waybills or when I travel. Every time I travel, especially by plane, part of the fees I pay include insurance (for the luggage, I think). Also, when you waybill, you also pay insurance. Which is why it’s important you tell them the real value, because if you lie about it and the goods get missing or damaged during transit, the fake or reduced value you gave them is what they’ll give you.
Insurance is a very important tool that many people are taking advantage of today. Even the government is encouraging it as they are making insurance a way to avoid certain taxes. Many companies are taking out health insurances on their employees, so they can be treated free of charge when they fall ill. Insurance is here to stay, and despite all the problems that besieged the industry, it will always be worth having around.
With time, we’ll all get accustomed to living a fully insured life.
