The managing director cum chief executive officer (CEO) for West Africa Takaful Insurance, Momodou Musa Joof has been awarded the Most Outstanding Community Insurance Professional in Africa.
The award courtesy of Business Executive Group was held during its 4th Edition of Outstanding Professional in Africa for the year 2025 at a local hotel in Kotu, The Gambia. The event attracted professionals from all the cardinal directions of the African continent including East Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, and North Africa. Several professionals have received awards on various categories. This award ceremony recognizes and honors the brightest minds and most accomplished professionals across Africa.
From groundbreaking innovators to impactful leaders, this pan-continental awards scheme is dedicated to spotlighting individuals who are not only shaping their industries but also elevating Africa on the global stage. Open to both indigenous Africans and resident foreign nationals, the awards promote world-class professionalism, foster global competitiveness and build a strong network of Africa’s finest talents across every field.
Reacting to the development, Mr. Joof said he is deeply humbled and profoundly honored to be recognized by the Business Executive Group as an ‘Outstanding Professional in Africa for the year 2025.”
“This recognition is not merely a personal milestone, but a testament to the boundless power of Vision, the unyielding spirit of ethical innovation, and the tireless perseverance that fuels the journey to a brighter and more inclusive future.” He said as a proud son of The Gambia, it is his unwavering mission to make the Gambia shine like a beacon of hope and excellence, no matter the field in which he planted his efforts.
“For me, true patriotism is not just in words but in creating ripples of progress that uplift our communities and inspire generations to dream bigger. I remain steadfast in my commitment to championing values that ignite empowerment and pave the path to sustainable progress for our beloved Gambia.”
This recognition, he added, is not an end, but a renewed call to action; a proof that together, they all can transform aspirations into achievements and challenges into triumphs.
He commended all those who supported him along the way to attain his goals.
“Let us press forward, hand in hand, to drive even greater change and build a legacy that will endure for generations,” he ended.
Brief bio of Mr Joof
With a career spanning over 35 years in the insurance industry, Joof is simply a household name in the West African Insurance Industry, who having worked at various levels and made significant contributions to its development.
Prior to joining Jaiz Takaful Insurance Plc, Nigeria in 2016 as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officers, he had been pioneer MD/Chief Executive Officer of the Takaful Gambia Limited, which he founded as the first Takaful Company in West Africa.
Momodou established the Takaful window for Phoenix Insurance of Zambia as Chief Operations Officer after he had worked for the Gambia based insurance companies including Senegambia Insurance, Gamstar and Great Alliance Insurance Company Limited, all at managerial levels between 1992 and 2003.
He holds Master’s Degree in Management from the International Islamic University of Malaysia, which he bagged in 2005 after successfully completing an impressive dissertation on Takaful Tittle “A Propose Model for Islamic Insurance (Takaful) in the Gambia.”
Mr. Joof also authored another book titled ‘Evolution and Revolution of Takaful in West Africa and beyond.’ In addition to the higher degree, he is a 1991 Diploma in Insurance Underwriting holder from the West Africa Insurance Institute, Monrovia, Liberia.
Earlier in life as an enthusiastic professional, he went through rigorous technical trainings on Takaful Insurance in Takaful Malaysia and Alhuda Center of Islamic Banking and Economics, Pakistan where he obtained a Certified Takaful Professional Diploma.
His high technical skills in conventional insurance practices were acquired from such rated companies like State Insurance Corporation of Ghana (1993), Management Development Institute, The Gambia (1998), African Information Technology, Nairobi, Kenya (1998), American International Insurance Company, Nigeria (1999), Lead Way Assurance, Nigeria (1999), Africa Reinsurance Corporation, Nigeria (1999) and University of California, Riverside University Extension, USA (2000).
He has held various positions in several professional bodies and institutes including as a Treasurer (Insurance Association of the Gambia), Board Member (British Education Agency-the Gambia), Vice President (ECOWAS Brown Card), Ag. President (International Islamic University Alumni- Gambia Chapter), visiting Lecturer (West African Insurance Institute) and Chairman (Gambia Medical Underwriters Committee).
Joof continues to share his experience and expertise within the West African sub-region by traveling to attend workshops and seminars on Islamic Finance and granting attachment practical training to people from the various countries. He has also participated as a speaker on International Takaful fora including the International Takaful Forum (London 2012) and World Takaful Conference (Dubai 2013), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Ethiopia, Adiss Ababa, Islamic Finance Forum, Dakar Senegal (2022).
For his demonstrated formidable passion for the development of Islamic Finance and Takaful (Islamic Insurance) in particular, Mr. Momodou was awarded the Best Takaful Contributor at the 2016 Global Islamic Finance Forum held in Nairobi, Kenya.
Best Emerging Personality in Africa Islamic Finance- Banjul March 23, 2022.
Joof, a Senior Member of the Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (2017), was conferred with a Fellow by the Institute of Islamic Finance Professional of Nigeria in 2017 Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Administration (2017).
He was bestowed with the African Leader Par Excellence Award and the Title Accolade Ambassador in 2017 making him to be recognized and his name registered in the Compendium of Distinguished Role Models in Nigeria (as per the Nigerian Role Models book Vol 2 P.40). Again, in March, 2018 Momodou Musa Joof was bestowed the Award of Excellence for Promoting the Takaful Industry in Africa.
West Africa Takaful Limited began its operation in the Gambia in 2020 as Momodou Musa Joof’s latest brain child with the vision of spreading to other West African Countries. He established this company as his 4th Takaful Establishment.
Mr. Momodou Musa Joof authored a book titled ‘Evolution and Revolution of Takaful in West Africa and Beyond.” The book was launched on the 24th November, 2023.
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