E-Business
Accenture Sensitises CIOs on Tech Trends for Business Growth
Accenture, a global technology solutions provider and consulting company recently sensitized chief information officers (CIOs) in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry on modern technological trends and how to leverage on them in order to ensure effective utilization for business growth.
This was the crux of the matter at the recent Accenture CIOs forum held at the Sofitel Lagos Moor house, Ikoyi, Lagos where CIOs from the FMCG sector gathered to brainstorm on modern technological trends, what to deploy for enhanced productivity and how to combine legacy technology with latest innovation, as well as mobility, cloud services and big data analytics.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Niyi Yusuf, country managing director, Accenture Nigeria, said the forum was on how Accenture shares its own thought on technology trends which the FMCG companies should be aware of and also take advantage of.
Yusuf said there is a lot of technology trend in the environment which includes social, mobile, analytics and cloud (SMAC) that companies in the sector can leverage on for better performance, and that coupled with the large population and high rate of mobile and Internet penetration in Nigeria, these organizations stand a good chance of adopting new trends for business growth.
“We are the second largest country in the world where people access Internet on their mobile phones and what does that portend for a company in the FMCG sector, it boosts interest and it is also an opportunity. If you have a workforce that is mobile, also consumers that are mobile, you need to be mobile, to be where your customers are, as lots of Nigerians are on Yahoo, Google, Facebook and other social media platform, and if a consumer has bad experience about a product he can post it on the social media and it would spread wide.
“So it is an opportunity for FMCG companies to be social and also be able to respond, and another advantage is that lot of companies would be able to sell their goods and services on the social media,” he stated.
According to him, having done that, it is also an opportunity for those companies to have information about their goods and services, an opportunity for them to track their goods, which stock keeping unit (SKU) is moving, and that it is real time information online which is data analytics.
“So analytics enables them to know which consumers buy and do not, and then they can track online, and because most of the consumers are mobile and sales are online, they will be able to know the location where sales is high and low, and the products that are purchased,” he said.
The Accenture boss however affirmed that the forum enables the CIOs to note these trends and to respond to them.
He added that the social media and technological platforms would help them increase the revenue of the FMCG companies, as well as reduce their cost of operation.
Yusuf explained that Accenture helps them to think through what they need to do and assist them on how to implement the technologies.
However during the online presentation, Mr. Shyam Ranchod, digital transformation lead, Products, and Tielman Botha, senior manager, Mobility Services Lead, both of Accenture South Africa, amongst others spoke on how FMCG companies can adopt technology in a digital era.
Botha explained that in Africa, Internet access is all about mobile and that if companies place emphasis on it, they can easily connect with their customers.
Ranchod in his presentation affirmed that in 2015, it is no longer enough to see companies adopt technology, but should look at it in a local way to suit their operating environment, to meet customers’ needs.
He stated that in the digital era, businesses are required to extend their boundaries in order to survive, by leveraging on key concepts such as the Internet of me, the use of big data analytic; outcome economy which is the use of machine to machine (M2M); platform (r) evolution which is related with open source and Internet of things (IoT); and intelligence enterprise which is the use of machine intelligence in both software and hardware.
E-Business
Expert Urges FG to Harmonise NIN, BVN to Tackle Crimes
Noble Ajuonu, head, Sydani Technologies Ltd., has urged the Federal Government to harmonise National Identification Number (NIN) and Bank Verification Number (BVN) to tackle crimes and insecurity in the country.
Ajuonu made the call at a media roundtable, organised by Sydani Group in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the roundtable focuses on driving sustainability through a comprehensive analysis of Nigeria’s key development areas.
Ajuonu said that Nigeria could overcome its security challenges and pave the way for a safer, more secure future for all Nigerians by embracing technology and implementing practical solutions,
“We need to harmonise data, prioritise seamless integration of databases like NIN, BVN, and security agency records, establish clear protocols for data sharing and access, with robust safeguards against misuse,’’ expert said.
According to him, the unified data pool will empower intelligence gathering and targeted operations.
He also called for investments in smart surveillance, intelligent video analytics software, training of personnel in data analysis, interpretation of data in real-time to combat crimes.
“There is need to implement a legal framework for call interception in criminal investigations, with strict oversight to prevent abuse, encourage community cohesion, training of tech savvy security personnel with tech-enabled tools.’’
Ajuonu also urged the government to address infrastructure deficit in technology, saying that technology was all encompassing to address insecurity.
“According to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), as of December 2023, only 104.2 million Nigerians had been enrolled for the National Identity Number (NIN).’’
Ajuonu added that over 122.2 million citizens left uncaptured for NIN were people in rural areas where enrolment centres, digital services were limited.
“Most crimes are being perpetuated from rural communities and this lack of comprehensive identification creates a gap where elements not captured in the national database can constitute public nuisance, crimes.
“There is the inadequacy in the integration of NIN, BVN and Voters Identification Number (VIN).
“Advanced call interception and analysis tools, used successfully in other countries, could provide invaluable insights into criminal networks and operations but infrastructure is lacking,’’ he said.
Also, Mr Godfrey Petgrave, the Agricultural Expert, Sydani Group, called for empowerment of smallholder farmers with access to finance and training to enhance productivity.
According to Petgrave, Nigeria requires policy reform and institutional strengthening to improve agricultural practices and embrace digital agriculture solutions to address food insecurity.
Mr Akolade Jimoh, another expert of the group on health, advocated for expanded community-based health insurance programmes for rural and underserved areas.
Jimoh added that the country needed to encourage Public Private Partnership to revolutionise products design and quality improvement on health services.
E-Business
Konga launches Infinix Brand Week with Incredible Deals
Konga, Nigeria’s leading composite e-commerce group, is thrilled to announce the launch of amazing deals at its Infinix Brand Week. Infinix, a leading global smartphone brand known for its innovative products and cutting-edge technology promises exclusive discounts and special offers on select smartphones, marking an exciting milestone in the realm of online shopping.
Shoppers can expect nothing short of extraordinary deals on a wide range of Infinix products, all available exclusively on the Konga online platform. With discounts of up to 30% off, this partnership between Konga and Infinix aims to redefine the shopping experience for tech enthusiasts across Nigeria.
Konga Brand Week has become synonymous with excitement and unbeatable deals, and this year’s edition is no exception. In addition to exclusive discounts on Infinix smartphones, shoppers can explore a diverse array of products across various categories, including electronics, fashion, home essentials, and more.
“At Konga, we are dedicated to providing our customers with the best shopping experience possible,” said Rita Ohaedoghasi, VP Marketing at Konga. “The Infinix Week during Konga Brand Week allows us to continue delivering on that promise by offering incredible discounts and special offers on some of the most sought-after smartphones in the market.”
To stay updated on the latest developments and exclusive deals during Konga Brand Week, shoppers are encouraged to connect with Konga across all platforms, including social media and the Konga website. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to score big savings and elevate your tech game with Infinix and Konga.
E-Business
Study Reveals Software Programmers to make Full Use of AI Code Assistants
Gartner predicts that by 2028, 75 percent of enterprise software engineers will use Artificial Intelligence (AI) code assistants, up from less than 10 percent, currently.
According to a Gartner poll of 598 global respondents conducted in the third quarter of 2023, 63 percent of organisations are now testing, deploying, or have previously implemented AI code assistants.
AI code assistants provide for more capabilities than only code development and completion, notes the research firm.
According to Gartner, the use of AI code assistants can lead to higher work satisfaction and retention, resulting in lower turnover costs.
Philip Walsh, senior principal analyst at Gartner, comments: “Software engineering leaders must determine ROI and build a business case as they scale their rollouts of AI code assistants.
“However, traditional ROI frameworks steer engineering leaders toward metrics centred on cost reduction. This narrow perspective fails to capture the full value of AI code assistants.”
Gartner notes that software engineering leaders must “reframe the ROI conversation from cost reduction to value generations”.
Walsh adds: “Calculating time savings on code generation is a good place to begin building a more robust value story. To convey the full enterprise value story for AI code assistants, software engineering leaders should connect value enablers to impacts, and then analyse the overall return to the organisation.”
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