An Appraisal of Insurance Education and Career Awareness Among Secondary School Students in Niger State

This study appraises the level of insurance education and career awareness among secondary school students in Niger State, North Central Nigeria. The pipeline of qualified insurance professionals is critical for sustaining the long-term growth of Nigeria's insurance industry, yet career awareness about insurance as a professional discipline is reported to be low among students at the secondary school level. Niger State, with its extensive secondary school network spanning rural and urban communities, provides an informative setting for evaluating this awareness gap. This research employs a descriptive survey design with data collected from 400 senior secondary students (SS2 and SS3) across twelve schools selected from three educational zones in Niger State. Structured questionnaires assess awareness of insurance as a career option, knowledge of university departments offering insurance programs, attitudes toward the profession, and sources of career information. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests examine associations between school type, location, and career awareness levels. Preliminary analysis suggests that fewer than 15 percent of respondents have received any formal information about insurance as a career, and that rural students have significantly lower awareness than urban counterparts. The study recommends targeted career guidance programs in schools and insurance industry partnerships with secondary school career counselors. Keywords: Insurance Education, Career Awareness, Secondary School Students, Niger State, Professional Development.