The seasoned professional with over two decades of
experience in Technology, Marketing, Sales, E-commerce, and Partnerships, Stanislaus
has demonstrated a consistent track record of driving growth and innovation
across major markets in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, Kenya, South
Africa, Ghana, and Côte d’lvoire. His expertise in leading high-performing
teams and launching new revenue models has established him as a
forward-thinking business leader with a unique blend of resilience and
strategic acumen.
In an interview with Olufemi Adeyemi, the entrepreneur at
heart, owning and consulting for several startup projects that span various
industries, shedlight on digital transformation and the role of Aleph
Holdings in helping businesses create digital storefronts in order to attract
customers
As an expert, what does digital transformation mean to
you?
Digital transformation represents a fundamental shift in how
companies uses technology, people, and processes to improve performance and
offerings in the market. It's about integrating technology into all areas of a
business, fundamentally changing how you operate and deliver value to
customers.
Digital Transformations can be complex. How can we simplify the process?
First, it must start with leadership and the vision for the
transformation should align with the company’s objectives. Secondly, focus on
prioritizing your customer needs as the central focus of transformation
efforts. And thirdly, starting with small, manageable projects that deliver
quick wins - celebrate those wins to build excitement and commitment within the
organization.
What stage in the transformation journey would you find
most businesses today?
Safe to say, businesses especially in this part of the
world, are at the early to middle stages of their digital transformation
journey driven massively by increased access to the internet and affordable
smartphones.. Many are already moving records to digital formats, working with
cloud services for things like email and meetings.
What is a culture shift and how do you execute one?
A culture shift in the context of digital transformation
happens when we move from risk aversion to risk tolerance and embracing
innovation and change. Making this shift successfully requires clear
communication from leadership about the value of change both as a company and
as an individual, providing the training for new skills, and creating a work
environment that celebrates and rewards experimentation and learning from
failures
What are the consequences of ignoring digital transformation?
Do you remember those things called pagers? They were a
thing back then in Nigeria. Imagine still using a pager instead of a
smartphone.. Ignoring digital transformation is a bit like that—it's not just
about missing a few texts; it's about completely missing out on how the world
communicates today. Businesses that ignore digital transformation might find
themselves unable to compete with competitors and unable to meet the ever
changing needs of their target audience - Think Blockbuster and Netflix. In Africa,
see how Multichoice is innovating to make its cable TV offerings more
attractive to the changing media consumption habits of Africans armed with
their smartphones. Small and big businesses alike are all moving their
inventory businesses online, employing what is called a direct to customer
strategy that makes it easier not just to sell at scale but also to engage
directly and get much needed feedback from them.
What are some of the biggest roadblocks that mid-size
businesses face along the journey?
SMEs don’t have the resources of their bigger cousins, so
budget is always a limiting factor. Lack of leaders with a vision is another.
And what’s the role of Aleph Holdings in helping them
create digital storefronts to attract customers?
Aleph represents some of the online business advertising
platforms in the world here in Nigeria. We make it easy for small businesses to
scale their businesses quickly employing digital advertising. Digital
advertising is targeted, cost effective, measurable, and can be less disruptive than offline
marketing. It is a game changer for small businesses as it levels the playing
field. A small business in a remote village in Osun state can now tap into the
rich audience in Lagos to grow their business.
What are the top 3 trends of digital transformation?
AI, Cloud Computing and Security/Privacy
Opportunities presented by digital transformation?
Digital transformation opens up opportunities such as access
to global markets, improved customer insights through data analytics, enhanced
operational efficiency, and the ability to quickly adapt to market changes or
customer needs.
Top social platforms expected to take the lion’s share of
engagement during the Olympics?
Platforms like Instagram, X, Snapchat, Tiktok, Audiomack,
Spotify are expected to dominate engagement during the Olympics, driven by
real-time updates, user-generated content, podcasts, news and interactive
features like live streaming and story updates. Engagement and conversations
around the games will shoot through the roof online, presenting brands an
opportunity to be part of the conversation and the opportunity to be seen where
all the excitement happens.
What is motivating Nigerians to be so heavily invested in
the world’s second largest sporting event?
The motivation comes from a strong national pride in our
athletes and the cultural significance of sports in Nigeria - Naija no dey
carry last. Sports remains a major passion point for Nigerians in general and
we typically do very well at international games. With Nigeria qualifying for
women’s football, athletics and several other events, there is plenty to
celebrate this year. Additionally, the Olympics provide a global stage where
Nigerians see representation and potential triumph, which resonates deeply with
both individual aspirations and national pride.
Which sporting activities at the Olympics are Nigerians
polled to be most interested in?
I would say women's football, athletics, especially the
relays where I think we qualified for all 5 major races. We generally do well
in wrestling too. We are a sports obsessed nation and generally do well.
Remember we won gold in men’s football in 1996.
What are the benefits to society with digital
transformation?
Digital transformation benefits society by creating more efficient services, enhancing access to information and education, improving healthcare delivery through technology, and boosting economic growth by enabling innovation and creating new job opportunities.