By Tope Adaramola

There is no honour too much for a man who blazes the trail in every path he chooses for himself.

For the global insurance icon and celebrated professional, Prof Ahmed bin Salawudeen, more garlands are coming his way in recognition of his sterling contributions to insurance, risk management and business across the globe with his recent consideration for conferment of Honorary Doctor of Science (D.Sc) in Business Administration by Crescent University, Abeokuta at its 17th Convocation ceremony and 20th Anniversary.
Crescent University is a foremost faith based private tertiary institution established in 2005 by the Islamic Mission for Africa (IMA), with a mission to ensure the delivery of university education in ways that recognise personal discipline and integrity and promote positive societal values”.

An exemplary insurance leader and real estates mogul, Prof Salawudeen (FIIN, FCIB, FCALM, Ph.D, ACII (London), has over 43 years’ experience in insurance, spanning global markets. He serves as the President of Standard Group Holdings, providing strategic oversight across its insurance brokerage firm; Standard Insurance Consultants Ltd, reinsurance brokerage firm; SICL Reinsurance Brokers Ltd, and real estate investment advisory firm; Signature Global Real Estate LLC, headquartered in Dubai.
He is widely recognized for his technical expertise in complex Risk Underwriting, Claims Management and pioneering Insurance solutions across diverse sectors, including but not limited to Oil & Gas, Aviation & Space Special Risks (Kidnapping & Ransom), Marine Hull Cargo, Protection and Indemnity, Construction/Operational, Agriculture, Mining, Medical and Healthcare Insurance Programme, Life and Pension Schemes, generally.

A proud alumnus of the prestigious College of Insurance, Surbiton, Surrey, England, a qualified Chartered Insurance Practitioner since 1976, and an Associate Member of the Chartered Insurance Institute of London, Global Club of Leaders and the European Business Assembly (EBA) having fulfilled all the necessary  requirements under the auspices of The Socrates Committee in Oxford, United Kingdom.

He holds Fellowships of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria, Commonwealth Academy of Leadership and Management, and the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers. Having successfully completed his thesis, he was conferred with a Doctor of Management degree with Specialism in Insurance by the Commonwealth University Belize. In 2022, he was also conferred with an Honorary Professorship by the Academic Union Oxford.
Prof Salawudeen was honoured as the World Leader Businessperson by the World Confederation of Businesses on three consecutive occasions.

He continues to champion higher professional standards, ethical broker-insurer ties, and the economic role of Insurance through his leadership roles. A recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence at the Forbes Africa-UAE Trade Summit 2021 in Dubai, UAE, Prof Salawudeen also featured in the Dubai Expo magazine “Titans of Africa” highlighting success stories of leading Africans in the UAE. Commands immense respect as a strategic leader gifted with Global Insurance expertise, sharp business acumen and excellent communication abilities.

He was recently also recognized with the Lifetime Achievement in Insurance Award at the BusinessDay Banks and other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards which was held on the 28th Of October 2023 for his immense contributions to the Insurance his thesis, he was conferred with a Doctor of Management degree with Specialism in Insurance by the Commonwealth University Belize. In 2022, he was conferred with an Honorary Professorship by the Academic Union Oxford.

A recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence at the Forbes Africa-UAE Trade Summit 2021, in Dubai, UAE, Prof. Salawudeen featured in the Dubai Expo magazine “TITANS OF AFRICA” highlighting success stories of leading Africans in the UAE. Commands immense respect as a strategic leader gifted with Global Insurance expertise, sharp business acumen and excellent communication abilities.

In closing, there is definitely no iota of doubt that the enviable award being conferred on Prof. Ahmed bin Salawudeen by Crescent University is a collective pride, particularly for the entire insurance industry and the economy at large, where he had made impressionable contributions for close to five decades. This is simply why a deluge of insurance professionals, well wishers and high profile friends of the professional mogul would throng the rock city of Abeokuta, the citadel of Crescent University, on Saturday, October 18, 2025 to identify with him as he mounts the podium to receive the coveted Doctor of Science Award (D.SC )award, which is the first to be conferred on any insurance professional of Nigerian descent.

Tope Adaramola, FCIB
Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Council of
Registered Insurance Brokers