Habib Dia, managing director of SUNU Assurances Liberia, has been elected chairman of the Council of Bureaux of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme, marking a significant boost for Liberia's standing in regional insurance governance.
Dia, who also chairs the ECOWAS Brown Card National Bureau of Liberia, was elected during the Scheme's 41st Annual General Meeting held at the Ministerial Complex in Monrovia. The event drew senior government officials, regional delegates and insurance industry leaders, including Vice President Jeremiah K. Koung and Transport Minister Sirleaf Ralph Tyler.
His election follows his tenure as vice chairman and reflects growing regional confidence in both his leadership and Liberia's expanding influence within ECOWAS insurance and transport frameworks.
Dia brings more than a decade of experience across Africa and Europe in finance, auditing and insurance management. At SUNU Assurances Liberia, one of the country's leading insurers, he oversees corporate governance, strategic planning and operational performance.
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Before assuming his current role, Dia served as group financial controller of the SUNU Group, where he coordinated financial reporting for more than 30 subsidiaries across 17 African countries. He previously worked as a senior financial auditor at Ernst & Young Côte d'Ivoire and held roles in portfolio management and financial analysis within the WAEMU capital market.
He holds an executive MBA from IAE Paris Sorbonne, master's degrees in accounting, control and audit, and accounting and financial techniques, as well as a bachelor's degree in management sciences. Fluent in English and French, Dia is widely regarded as part of a new generation of African insurance leaders focused on governance reform, innovation and institutional capacity building.
In his endorsement speech, Dia welcomed delegates from across the sub-region and described Liberia's hosting of the AGM as a point of pride, noting that the meeting coincides with ECOWAS' 50th anniversary.
He described the ECOWAS Brown Card Scheme, established in 1982, as a critical tool for regional integration, providing insurance protection for motorists and traders operating across national borders.
Addressing the AGM's focus on governance reform, digital transformation and legal review, Dia stressed the need for modernization across the Scheme.
"The Brown Card Scheme must not only adapt to change, it must lead the change," Dia said. "Our operational structures must be transparent, efficient and harmonized across member states. Digital transformation is not an option but an imperative if the Scheme is to respond effectively to citizens' needs."
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Dia emphasized that the future of the Brown Card lies in full digital integration, stronger data governance and harmonized legal frameworks across ECOWAS member states.
"Our goal is simple: to ensure that the ECOWAS Brown Card remains fit for purpose in a digital and interconnected West Africa," he said.
He also described Monrovia as a symbol of renewal and cooperation, expressing confidence that the AGM would produce concrete outcomes to advance modernization and deepen regional integration.
"The Brown Card is more than a policy instrument; it is a promise of protection, cooperation and shared progress," Dia added.
Industry observers say Dia's election represents a milestone for SUNU Assurances Liberia, the national insurance sector and Liberia's broader engagement within ECOWAS, with potential to accelerate digital reform, strengthen legal safeguards and improve cross-border insurance operations across West Africa.
As ECOWAS marks five decades of regional cooperation, Dia's elevation underscores Liberia's re-emergence as a key contributor to regional policy and institutional development.
