Ayotunde Coker, chief executive officer, Rack Centre has said that Nigeria will see high quality in digital infrastructure because of the realisation of its importance.
He noted that building infrastructure was a long-term project; and that the country had already started from a ‘good place’ with the existence of world-class data centres like Rack Centre.
Coker spoke at the recent BusinessDay Digital Dialogue sponsored by Rack Centre. The dialogue also featured panellists such as Bunmi Akinyemiju, CEO of Venture Garden Group; Omowale David-Ashiru, Vice President, Global Operations at Andela; and Juliet Ehimuah-Chiazor, Country Manager of Google Nigeria.
Bunmi Akinyemiju said it would also depend on how the government responds with policies and regulations.
Bold regulations that are forward-looking and progressive would show the extent of seriousness and how far the country would go in adapting to the new normal in the face of Covid-19 pandemic.
Akinyemiju, also said the pandemic would likely accelerate the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and enhance collaboration across the African continent.
Speaking about the opportunities that African countries could draw from the effect of Covid-19, Ehimuah-Chiazor said the virus that is ravaging the entire world, presents an opportunity for businesses to reset their models.
“For businesses to successfully pivot to digital, leaders need to examine their business processes, customer engagement, supply chain management and employee engagement,” Ehimuah-Chiazor said.
David-Ashiru said businesses that fail to adapt to the new normal could look forward to becoming part of another company in an acquisition spree that is imminent with post-COVID-19. “Post-COVID-19, there is going to be a lot of acquisitions of businesses that suffered during the crisis,” she said.