AM Best Assigns Credit Ratings to Linkage Assurance Plc

AM Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating of C++ (Marginal) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “b+” (Marginal) to Linkage Assurance Plc (Linkage) (Nigeria). The outlook assigned to these Credit Ratings (ratings) is stable.

The ratings reflect Linkage’s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strong, as well as its marginal operating performance, limited business profile and marginal enterprise risk management.

Linkage’s balance sheet strength is underpinned by its risk-adjusted capitalisation at the very strong level, as measured by Best’s Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR). Linkage’s risk-adjusted capitalisation is supported by its adequate internal capital generation and low underwriting leverage. An offsetting rating factor is Linkage’s high exposure to illiquid assets, with one single private equity investment comprising approximately half of the company’s capital and surplus. In addition, Linkage is exposed to the elevated levels of economic, political and financial system risk in Nigeria, where all of its assets are located, and all of its revenue is generated.

The marginal operating performance assessment considers Linkage’s high combined ratio, which has exceeded 120% in each of the past five years (2019-2023). While the loss ratio has generally been robust, overall underwriting results are constrained by the company’s high expense base and small scale. AM Best expects overall earnings to remain skewed toward investment income, albeit subject to potential volatility given the company’s reliance on dividend income from its large private equity investment.

Linkage is a mid-tier player in Nigeria’s insurance market. Linkage has good prospects for organic growth in a rapidly developing market, though the company’s ability to grow profitably is constrained by its limited scale. Linkage writes a diversified insurance portfolio by line of business; however, there is a concentration to motor business on a net basis.

This press release relates to Credit Ratings that have been published on AM Best’s website. For all rating information relating to the release and pertinent disclosures, including details of the office responsible for issuing each of the individual ratings referenced in this release, please see AM Best’s Recent Rating Activity web page. For additional information regarding the use and limitations of Credit Rating opinions, please view Guide to Best’s Credit Ratings. For information on the proper use of Best’s Credit Ratings, Best’s Performance Assessments, Best’s Preliminary Credit Assessments and AM Best press releases, please view Guide to Proper Use of Best’s Ratings & Assessments.

AM Best is a global credit rating agency, news publisher and data analytics provider specialising in the insurance industry. Headquartered in the United States, the company does business in over 100 countries with regional offices in London, Amsterdam, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Mexico City. For more information, visit www.ambest.com.

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