Tag: DigitalInnovation

Across East Africa, momentum is building around grid digitisation. Smart meters, automation and AI-enabled energy management are increasingly positioned as viable ways to establish efficient, sustainable and resilient energy provision. But there is a fundamental reality that cannot be overlooked - digitisation cannot compensate for gaps in basic infrastructure.

What is the biggest benefit of your customer portal? Is it the cost and efficiency savings you achieve by reducing reliance on call centre staff? Or perhaps it is the increase in customer satisfaction that comes from allowing customers to manage their accounts on their own terms, whenever it suits them?

Digitalisation has brought, and continues to bring, sweeping advancements in how companies go to market and how customers engage with brands. Agentic AI is now poised to disrupt even these developments. As a result, organisations are scrambling to invest in the "next big thing" because they fear being left behind. However, history shows that when speed becomes associated with winning, companies often blur the line between operational effectiveness and strategy.

Today, just over 60% of Nigerians have access to grid-connected electricity. Even those who do often endure erratic service. The country’s National Bureau of Statistics reports that the average daily supply stands at less than seven hours. Yet, as Albert Einstein famously said: “In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity”. In Nigeria’s case, the convergence of renewable energy, digital innovation and Software as a Service (SaaS) can establish an energy landscape built on reliability and long-term sustainability.