Insurance provides a way to protect you from everyday risk. These risks include accidents, illnesses, death, or damage to property you own. They can create financial losses that you would not be able to afford to cover on your own. One property that is always subject to damage or loss is cars. That is why it is a good idea to have car insurance in Nigeria. If something ever goes wrong with your car, the insurance company will have your back in the form of financial compensation.
Car insurance (also known as vehicle insurance, motor insurance, or auto insurance) is an agreement between a car owner and an insurance company. Where the insurance company provide financial protection against unexpected events such as a road accident, theft, fire, natural calamities, vandalism and other situations that could also arise from incidents in a vehicle. In exchange, the car owner pays an amount, usually a monthly fee known as car insurance premium to the insurance company.
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What type of car insurance exists in Nigeria?
There are two types of car insurance in Nigeria. They are Third Party Motor Insurance Policy and Comprehensive Car Insurance Policy.
Third-Party Motor Insurance policy
Third-Party Motor Insurance is a compulsory insurance policy in Nigeria. it is the legal minimum level of vehicle insurance cover any vehicle owner plying Nigerian roads is required to have.
The benefits of Third Party car Insurance in Nigeria makes it a no-brainer for every Nigerian to possess. Third-Party Motor Insurance policy takes care of the damage caused by the insured (policy holder) to third parties body and third party vehicle and property. The limit for third party car or property damage is usually N1million. However, This limit can be increased with the payment of an additional premium. While there is no limit put on bodily injuries and death to third parties.
Third-party motor insurance is very important as far as third party road users are concerned as well as for the insured (policy holder) as it protects car owners from losses caused by their cars on other people.
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Comprehensive Auto Insurance Policy
The comprehensive auto insurance policy covers the damage or loss to an insured car or vehicle. This loss can arise from fire, theft, vandalism, accidental damage or collision. This auto insurance policy also covers bodily damage, death as well as damage to third party property by the insured vehicle.
For an extra fee, your comprehensive Auto insurance policy can include additional features such as:
- provisional car to use for some time in cases of theft or severe damage to the vehicle.
- excess buyback
- increase in TPPD
- medical bills
- cover for loss of personal items
- no claims bonuses, that allows the policy holder to get a return on premiums paid after a certain number of years
- protection against natural events (storm, flood, tempest)
- protection against strike, riot and civil commotion
- vehicle trackers. Usually provided free for cars worth ₦3 million and above.
Therefore comprehensive auto insurance can be viewed as third party insurance plus personal auto insurance. Even though comprehensive auto insurance isn’t compulsory under Nigerian law, it comes highly recommended for all vehicle owners.
Third-party auto Insurance vs Comprehensive auto insurance
While third party car insurance is required under Nigerian law and comprehensive auto insurance isn’t. Comprehensive auto insurance is a more preferable option. Because it has all the features of third-party motor insurance and more.
However, if you’re seeking the least tenable option, then third-party motor insurance is fine.
Where to get motor insurance in Nigeria?
You can get a car insurance cover as an option when you’re buying a car from most authorised car dealers in Nigeria. It is important to note that car or auto dealers aren’t insurance companies. Rather, they have a relationship with the insurance companies. So it is essential to ensure that the insurance company the car dealer is working with is registered and has a good reputation in the auto insurance industry. You can find out if an insurance company is registered by checking Naicom’s website. Naicom is the regulator for everything insurance in Nigeria.
Best car insurance companies in Nigeria ?
Finding a good car insurance company in Nigeria can be a bit tricky. So we’ve have put together a list of car insurance companies in Nigeria with a good reputation :
