Author: Opinion

On Oct. 1, 1960, everything seemed possible for Nigeria: After nearly 80 years of colonialism under Great Britain, it was finally an independent nation. During the newly independent nation’s earliest days, there was every reason for Nigerians to envision a bright future for themselves and their country, one in which Nigeria’s vast oil and gas reserves would deliver widespread prosperity. One of stability and growth. Tragically, Nigeria’s story moved in a different direction. Yes, there was a brief period of economic growth, but that was followed by multiple coups, civil war, military rule, corruption, and poverty. Instead of helping everyday…

Environmental, Social and Governance – three words that we now hear all the time when analysing and discussing investment. And three words that need to be an integral part of the due diligence for every investment decision. If you want to attract substantial investment into your business then you now need to make sure that your “ESG” story, policy and monitoring is solid and coherent.   There was a time when “ethical” investment was its own niche. Those who aspired to be ethical, or had deluded themselves into believing that their ethics were central to their business practice, charged into ethical investing.…

Kenyan equities market reversed the negative trend in the first two weeks of September, with the indices NSE All Share Index (NASI) and NSE-20 Share Index ticking up 9.0% and 8.2%, respectively, on a month-on-month comparison. This could be attributed to the improving business prospects issuing from the second quarter’s deep economic and business strain arising from the containment measures for the Covid-19 pandemic. On a year-to-date (YTD) basis, the NSE-20 and NASI have posted negative returns of 29.3% and 15.4%, respectively.   Across the market, there have been outstanding performers that bucked the general trend. Absa NewGold ETF (a security whose price is derived from gold commodity…

There is a device being used rather often lately by our most vocal lobbyists as they chase new regulation or overturn old rules: ‘Europe’ has banned ‘it’, or done ‘it’, or changed ‘it’, they are telling us, as a reason to reshape our own policies.   However, the problem with this form of case-building, just as when our children tell us their friend’s parents allow ‘it’ or have bought ‘it’, is that the comparison comes without circumstantial detail, and with the possibility of being untrue in the way it is presented, or, at the very least, of being irrelevant to our…

Business success is perceived differently today. Buzzwords like maximization, venture-backed, growth hacking, and well-conceived exit strategies (like IPOs or acquisitions) define entrepreneurial success in the current age. In a mad rush to show high quarter-on-quarter growth rates, corporate leaders have forgotten that the true value of a business is how long it stays relevant in the market and instead focus solely on transient growth spurts even if they cost profits. Any business, no matter how big its initial success, needs to take a long-term approach if it’s to avoid being one of history’s almost-rans. This applies to every aspect of…

In 2020, remote working finally became normal everywhere. Analysts and thought leaders had predicted that this would happen “soon” for the past 25 years, but it took a global crisis for it to materialize. Since March, people in many professions have gotten increasingly used to working from outside their offices. Before the pandemic hit, many employers were loath to give their staff that flexibility, especially for extended periods of time. With Covid-19, that changed overnight. Even the most diehard bosses have now given in and allowed people to work from home or remotely. One key realization, captured in many memes,…

“Flatten the curve.” Do you remember that phrase? It was on everyone’s lips back in the spring, when the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic began rampaging across the world in earnest. At the time, the idea was that the best way to combat the germ known as SARS CoV-2 was to go home and stay there long enough for hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities to build up the capacity needed to handle the expected flood of new patients. Most of us expected that this departure from routine would be a temporary thing. We hoped it wouldn’t last long — that…

On 9th September 2020, US-based blockchain investor, Digital Currency Group (DCG) bought Naspers-backed South African cryptocurrency exchange Luno[1] and Transactions Capital, which took a $109M position in WeBuyCars also from South Africa.[2] According to Bloomberg, WorldRemit acquired Soundwave for $500M on 25th August 2020.[3] In late July, Network International, a Dubai-headquartered enabler of commerce bought Africa’s leading online commerce platform, DPO Group, for $288M.[4] But it all started in January when Circles Gas acquired KopaGas’ proprietary technology for $25M.[5] These are signs of the times – the EXITS are finally here. But it been a long time coming since 1999…

On March 15th this year the government announced a raft of measures to curb the pandemic brought about by COVID-19. Among the measures were that government employees and businesses were to be shut, a minimum number of people maintained and the rest to start working from home except for those providing essential services.   It is now five months down the line and the initial excitement that a new formula had been found of remote working from home has become a damper and many CEOs have realised it is not workable. During this time into a pandemic that rapidly reshaped how companies operate and which is nowhere in sight in ending, an increasing…

While many company executives focus on product development and budget cuts, forgetting that the company success will largely depend on customer satisfaction. As we wrestle with Covid-19 pandemic and global recession, how companies interact with their customers is more vital than ever before making customer experience as the key ingredient that will determine the success of any company.  Most research carried out in 2020 such as Adobe Digital Trends, ranks customer experience at the top a head of digital marketing, video marketing and even social media. A survey by Deloitte in 2017 on Global Contact Center, found that 88 percent of companies now prioritize customer experience in their contact centres. Companies offering…