AXA Mansard Insurance Plc has introduced its “Culture of Care” campaign, a new initiative designed to encourage Nigerians to make care a more intentional part of daily life and to recognise the contributions of caregivers that often go unnoticed.

Unveiled on Wednesday at the company’s Lagos office, the campaign seeks to reposition caregiving from an invisible responsibility to a shared social value. It highlights the emotional, physical and financial demands faced by people who care for children, ageing parents, persons with disabilities, employees and other loved ones.

Kunle Ahmed, CEO of AXA Mansard Insurance Plc, said the event was more than the launch of a campaign. He described it as an effort to spark a national conversation about the value of care, which he said has always been part of African heritage and central to AXA Mansard’s identity.

“Today, we celebrate ordinary heroes who care for others every day, often without recognition. More importantly, we affirm our belief that those who protect others also deserve protection too.

“We care for human progress by protecting what matters. For years across Nigeria, we have protected families against uncertainty, businesses against risk, communities against destruction, individuals against life’s unforeseen events, and lately we are covering states against the effects of global warming. We have done all this through insurance, healthcare, investment, and other solutions designed to help people live with greater confidence.

“Yet, as we reflect on what protection truly means in the Nigerian context, we arrive at the fact that protection does not begin with an insurance policy. Protection begins with people. It begins with a mother who stays awake through the night caring for her child, parents making sacrifices, sons and daughters caring for ageing parents, a friend who stands by you in moments of adversity and communities that value one another during difficult times,” Ahmed said.

He added that the “Culture of Care” in Africa is reflected in the philosophy of Ubuntu, “the understanding that our well-being is connected with the well-being of others”.

According to Ahmed, the campaign arrives at a critical time for Nigeria’s insurance industry, where penetration has remained among the lowest globally for years. He noted that despite Nigeria’s estimated population of over 220 million, insurance penetration still sits below 1% and contributes little to the country’s GDP.

Ahmed suggested that if people could see insurance as an extension of the care they already provide for their families and communities, adoption could increase.

“The challenge is therefore not simply awareness but helping Nigerians see insurance not as an expense, but as a practical expression of care. Because when a parent purchases health insurance for a child, that is care. When a business protects its employees, that is care.

“This is why the culture of care campaigns is much more than marketing. It is a strategic effort to reconnect insurance with values Nigerians already understand and practice every day.”

Tope Adeniyi, CEO of AXA Mansard Health, said the “Culture of Care” campaign is aimed at strengthening awareness of preventive healthcare and protection for both caregivers and those receiving care.

He said care remains central to Nigeria’s social fabric and should extend from homes and workplaces to healthcare and public policy.

“Care is not a weakness. Care is strength. Care is not merely an emotion. It is an action.”

Adeniyi highlighted the burden faced by caregivers, including emotional, physical and financial pressures, noting that caregivers often neglect their own needs while caring for others.

He said AXA Mansard is committed to closing Nigeria’s healthcare protection gap by promoting access to health insurance and quality healthcare.

Deji Tunde-Anjous, Chief Executive Officer of AXA Mansard Investment, said financial well-being was an equally important component of protection because financial security gave people the confidence to plan for the future.

He said many Nigerians who care for their families often make significant sacrifices for others while postponing their own financial goals and aspirations.

“Caring for others should not mean compromising their own future. And this is central to the campaign,” he said.

Tunde-Anjous said saving and investing for the future should also be seen as acts of care, noting that parents who save for their children’s education and individuals who build wealth for future generations were creating financial resilience for their families.