ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme
Protocol
The ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme was established by Protocol A/P1/5/82 signed on 29 May 1982 at Cotonou by Heads of States and Governments of the ECOWAS. The ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme is established on the Protocol on the free movement of persons and goods across national boundaries of ECOWAS member states. The Brown Card Insurance Scheme serves as a common insurance cover against Third Party liabilities that visiting motorists may incur while they drive across various national boundaries of ECOWAS.

Objectives of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme

The main objective of the ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme is to ensure prompt and fair compensation to victims of motor accidents caused by visiting motorists, using foreign registered vehicles from other ECOWAS members States covered by a Brown Card Insurance.
The Brown Card Insurance Scheme serves as a common insurance cover against Third Party liabilities that visiting motorists may incur while they drive across various national boundaries of ECOWAS. The Scheme therefore guarantees compensation to third party victims of cross border accidents, thereby leading to the realization of the ECOWAS objective of Free Movement.
Third Party Liability cover for:

Injury

Death

Property Damage
Benefits of The Brown Card Insurance Scheme
Motor Insurance Cover
Provides an insurance cover against Third Party liabilities that visiting motorists may incur while they drive across various national boundaries of ECOWAS
Prompt Fair Compensation
Ensure prompt and fair compensation to victims of motor accidents caused by visiting motorists, using foreign registered vehicles from other ECOWAS member states covered by a Brown Card Insurance
Guarantee Compensation
Guarantees compensation to third party victims of cross border accidents, thereby leading to the realization of the ECOWAS objective of Free Movement
ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme Participants
Principal Participants
These are the member states of ECOWAS
Responsibilities of the Principal Participants include:
- Ensure establishment of National Bureaux
- Ensure Solvency of National Bureaux
- Ensure insurers raise 174,000 UA. To ensure performance by the National Bureau of its obligations.
Subsidiary Participants
These are insurance companies licensed by the Regulator to underwrite motor Insurance risks/business. Such Insurance companies must be members of their respective National Bureaux.
Responsibilities of Subsidiary Participants (Motor Insurers):
-To undertake, by way of reimbursement to the National Bureau, payment of compensation for injury, death and damage to property caused by its insured Brown Card holder.
ECOWAS Brown Card Insurance Scheme
National Bureaux
Each Member State shall establish a National Bureau, to administer the Brown Card Insurance Scheme within its borders.
National Bureaux are composed of insurers authorized by the Local Supervisory Authorities (Regulator) to carry out insurance against motor vehicle third-party liability risks.
Roles Of The National Bureaux
The National Bureaux plays a dual role by acting as:
- an Issuing Agency/Bureau, and- a Handling Agency/Bureau
Functions of National Bureaux
As an Issuing Agency:
- A National Bureau established by the Member State of ECOWAS shall issue Brown Cards to its member companies who shall in turn issue them to their insured motorists with whom a valid motor vehicle liability insurance policy has been taken or exists.
- Settle, on behalf of its member insurers, claims arising from accidents caused abroad by holders of the cards it has issued.
As a Handling Agency:
- Handle claims arising from accidents caused in its country by holders of Brown Cards issued by the National Bureaux of other parties to this Protocol.
- Act in the best interest of visiting motorist from member states
- Verify and investigate Brown Card accidents
- Based on the investigation, advise the Issuing Bureau
- Take any administrative or non-judicial action which it deems necessary an accident case
- At the judicial level, it shall take steps to institute or contest an action
- Shall settle claims and request for reimbursement from the Issuing Bureau.