We had the chance of sitting with Mr Valentine Obi to discuss his journey has an entrepreneur and a founder of one of the leading financial technology company in Africa, eTranzact. We chatted with him for about thirty minute but one of the salient issues on his mind was digital disruption
Have you ever wondered what would happen to your career if this wave of Artificial intelligence takes over your industry or if digitization turns the business table? Have you noticed the trend in cyber cafes, Financial institutions, Book publishing industry, Information gathering and dissemination (mass media), even in the beauty parlors and everywhere else? It is amazing and a tad overwhelming.
This is what the CEO of eTranzact, Mr. Valentine Obi has been hammering on when he discusses digital disruption in small businesses and financial institutions. Our world as we know it is changing at an alarming rate and we all need to be smart and a step ahead of this digital tsunami to keep up.
Don’t be fooled by the designation of ‘digital disruption’ which to a lay man may sound fatal. Digital disruption, like every change, has its pros and cons. The only problem is that most of us abhor change. The digital world is disrupting the way we live and conduct businesses and would be fatal to stay on the sidelines. Not only does the disruption offer us ample choices, it provides easier methods, constant growth and challenges of course.
Assenting to Mr. Obi’s view, digital disruption is at play whenever innovative ideas meet technological breakthroughs to provide solutions to our common problems. If care is not taken, these disruptive innovations can rob some of us of our much coveted means of livelihood. Before you shout God forbid, take a look at the banking sector. Thanks to the unprecedented digital disruptions, customers now have a variety of means of conducting various financial transactions from their digital devices. There is less and less need to visit the brick and mortar banks. Any financial institution that is not proactive and poised to keep pace with the trend may fall by the wayside.
For small businesses and financial institutions to survive the digital disruptions sweeping across the globe, creativity and innovation must be the watchword. Mr. Obi has been championing the cause of digital disruptions by providing means and knowledge for entrepreneurs. His eTranzact international PLC provides groundbreaking technological solution through different alternative payment services and mobile banking. Any business or individual can take advantage of eTranzact’s financial products and services to boost their businesses and careers.
What is the way forward for businesses, individuals and government?
Each of us must align with Mr. Valentine Obi’s perspective and become smarter and more creative. The time to do away with the mindset of business as usual is now. As a teacher for instance, you need to learn some digital skills that will keep you relevant seeing as many people opt for online learning. A young entrepreneur relying comfortably on physical shop does so at his own detriment since many people are beginning to shop and pay online.
The challenge is to stay relevant in the digital disruption, to flow with the tide and harness the countless opportunities it provides. African leaders must re-evaluate and re-strategize to embrace the technological innovations. Educationists need to revisit the curriculum to make it useful for learners in the modern world of digital disruption.
Economy, health, agriculture, education and just about every sector of human life is being disrupted, not just the digital world. Stay on top of the game, be a game changer.
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