Second edition of Doing Business in Nigeria Conference scores high points

#FeatureByDBNC - The event, which was convened by Linda Uneze, Managing Partner of Maurice Xandra Solutions, had the Chief Executive Officer of Landmark Group, Paul Onwanibe, and Country Manager, Microsoft, Nigeria and Ghana, Olatomiwa Williams, as its keynote speakers. The theme for the program was "The Age of Conscious Resource Utilization".

Onwanibe spoke on "Business Strategy and Execution in an Emerging Market". He emphasized the need for people to stand out in what they do and strive for excellence. In a time when some people are searching for easy ways to achieve success in their businesses, the business expert said, "Ease is a greater enemy of progress than hardship. All the easy things have been done. Solve a problem. People who say it can't be done should not interrupt people already doing it. The world's biggest problems are the world's biggest opportunities. If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way. Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there."

Furthermore, he explained the factors that can spur a business. He said, "Be creative. Good ideas are common. What is uncommon are the people who will work hard enough to execute them. Be passionate. Without commitment, you will never start and without consistency, you will never finish. The best price that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing."

Another keynote speaker, Olatomiwa Williams, Country Manager, Microsoft Nigeria and Ghana, spoke on "Embracing Technology for Business Sustainability". She touched on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on many businesses which have not adopted technology yet.

She said, "It is easier to transform than not to because if you don't transform, you have the potential to stop existing. The result of transformation outweighs the challenges. COVID taught us to consistently and deliberately continue to innovate in a relevant manner." She also recommended that organisations should establish a relationship with a trusted cloud, no one is customers' profile and behaviour ecosystem.

Adesola Sotande-Peters, CFO, Godrej Africa, USA & Middle East, said that passion and drive are the basis for starting a business. On what the major factor in determining a business survival is, Ugo Obi-Chukwu, Founder and Partner, Nairametric Financial Advocates said, "Cost is a major factor in determining a business survival. As a business owner, one needs to be mindful of the rise in cost."

Jane Egerton-Idehen, Head of Sales Middle East and Africa, Meta (Facebook) noted that it is important for businesses to evolve. However, she asked a vital question - how is Nigeria preparing for it? She said, "When we say businesses should evolve, some people think they are going to lose their businesses to robots and AI. That is not what we are saying. We are saying that the way we work will evolve and some skills for some types of work will evolve."

While speaking on the importance of digital transformation in present day businesses, Dr Ayo Adegboye, CEO of Arravo said, "Jobs will be gained and lost depending on how well you prepare for digital transformation in the emerging technology. Leverage the data you have using technology to get customers' experiences. Expand your supply and know how much more you can do. Learn to move away from the tangible to the intangible."

Olu Akanmu, the President of Opay, supported this by sharing that “The Opportunities of Digital is great for new businesses who do not have the legacy to hold on to traditional technology of old companies. It is an advantage for small businesses”.

Attendees learnt beyond the basics of managing a business. They learnt how they can become experts at what they do. It was an exciting conference with indelible knowledge dished out by all the speakers.

Linda Uneze, the convener of the conference believes that for every business to grow, it must adapt to new knowledge. Hence, she established the conference in partnership with Maurice Xandra Solutions, a human resources management company which centres on improving the quality of manpower in organisations. The conference was made possible with support from our sponsors, General Electric Company, VFD Group, Environmental Accord Limited, Unotelos Limited, Interswitch, GB Foods Africa, Nairametrics, Business Day Nigeria, Adzinga Media, Business Insider, and Pulse.

For more information on the conference, please send a message to dbnc@mauricexandra.com or call 09049313488. You can also get the full session of the conference on (link).

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