Prisca Maria Gbemisola Soares holds a BA (Combined Honours) in French and German from the University of Ibadan and is an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute (ACII) of London. In 1977, she joined National Insurance Corporation of Nigeria (now NICON Insurance) as the first Graduate Trainee, rising through the ranks to become the 1st female Managing Director in 2000. Ms. Soares had a highly successful career in NICON.
In spite of stiff competition, NICON, under her administration, maintained the No.1 position in the market. Ms. Soares was appointed Secretary General of the African Insurance Organisation in 2007 – the first woman to occupy the position – a position she held till June 2019, and was retained as Consultant till June 2020. She successfully steered the affairs of the continental insurance association, comprising members from 47 African countries, working with international organisations such as the International Labour Organisation, Access to Insurance Initiative (A2ii) and the World Bank. Prisca Soares has served the Insurance industry in various capacities at home and abroad, such as Chairman, Council of Bureaux of ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme 2004-2005, Executive Committee member of the African Insurance Organisation 2000 – 2006 and Executive Committee member of the Federation of Afro Asian Insurers and Reinsurers (FAIR) 2000 – 2006.
She has served on the Boards of Directors of various companies, including NAL Bank (now Sterling Bank), Continental Reinsurance Co. Ltd. and Le Meridien Hotel, Abuja, and Bluebird Communications Ltd. She was Chairman, Niger Insurance PLC (1st female director) and Chairman NICON Hotels Ltd, Director Abuja, Chairman NICON Trustees Ltd.
She currently sits on the Board of YOA Insurance Brokers Ltd, and Dames Hub Wellness Initiative. Apart from professional insurance field, she has also been involved in Church activities and served as member of the Finance Committee of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Director, CSN Concepts Investments Ltd. and Salus Trust Guarantee (owned by the CBCN).
She has been honoured with many awards in the Nigerian and West African Insurance industries. In addition, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI conferred Prisca with the knighthood of St. Sylvester in 2009.
