Organizations need to take full advantage of the evolving ICT landscape and embrace digital technology capable of positively disrupting their business model in order to survive the challenges posed by Covid 19, tech thought leaders have said.
The tech experts made this submission at NerdsUnite, the flagship tech programme organized by MainOne, the leading data center and broadband connectivity firm in west Africa.
Digital Disruption is the change that occurs when digital technologies and business models affect the value proposition of existing goods and services and the outbreak of covid-19 pandemic sparked a new era in the application of ICT to business, discussants at the event agreed, Ms. Funke Opeke, Managing Director of MainOne said in her presentation.
According to Ms. Opeke, the major cause of digital disruption is the rapid advancement of technology and globalization, which allows new business models to be introduced at an ever increasing rate and with rapidly declining costs of adopting technology, the Covid 19 Pandemic, improved Technology innovation, Growth in Broadband Penetration, Millennials ease with digital platforms, Growth in Social Media, Growth in Mobile Penetration and the Shift to Work from home.
Every institution must master and own its digital transformation in order to survive. These days, most businesses are going digital Covid 19 has made it inevitable. However, not every organization’s journey will be the same, Dr. Olubayo Adekanmbi MTN Nigeria – Chief Digital Transformation Officer said in the first panel session.
On his part, Mr. Mitchell Elegbe, Interswitch Limited – Founder and Group Managing Director noted that organizations must think of the traps and triggers on their digital transformation journeys.
The traps and the pitfalls they could face, while the triggers are the internal and external factors that define what technology to be adopted. In his view, Digital is about solutions that work for everyone. Regulation is very important, as digital has implications for national sovereignty and security.
The 2021 edition of the event was collaboratively put together by Deloitte, a first of its kind, it addressed two audiences one online composed of participants from around the world while few attended the programme physically.
Nerds Unite 2021 featured sought after speakers and industry thought leaders in the local and international tech sector including Mr. Mitchell Elegbe, Founder and Group Managing Director, Interswitch Limited; Dr. Olubayo Adekanmbi, Chief Digital Transformation Officer, MTN Nigeria; Mr. Moses Baiden Junior, Chief Executive Officer, Margins Group, Ghana; Mr. Tomi Davies – Chief Investment Officer, GreenTec Capital Partners as well as other notable speakers.