Digital Transformation Create Access to Global Markets, Enhanced Operational Efficiency – Aleph MD West Africa, Stanislaus Martins

Aleph Managing Director West Africa, Stanislaus Martins, a one-of-a-kind leader who has been contributing to the development of digital in Nigeria. His influence, in recent times, extends beyond the shores of the motherland, reaching other African nations.

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.

May 17, 2024