Telecom Chief Tasks Indigenous Enterprises On AI, Quality At NSACC Session

Nigerian enterprises seeking sustained economic expansion must reject policy entitlement and build internal capacity capable of competing globally, Chief Financial Officer of MTN Nigeria, Modupe Kadri, has advised. Speaking at the Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Commerce (NSACC) breakfast forum held on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at the Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, Kadri asserted that authentic local content development rests on commercial rigor rather than mere domestic patronage.

Addressing business leaders and corporate delegates, Kadri emphasised that true economic synergy between multinational anchors and domestic suppliers requires predictable market demand, strict governance, and uncompromising delivery discipline. “Local content must not mean substandard quality, nor should it mean entitlement simply because a company is Nigerian.”

Reviewing 25 years of bilateral trade and industrial growth under the event’s theme, Kadri noted that while the initial era of domestic participation focused on civil infrastructure and basic logistics, the next frontier demands technical depth in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and cyber defenses. “Shared growth is not charity; it is not public relations, it is invited business logic that happens when value circulates through businesses, communities, and governments.”

The high-level session, organised by the NSACC to deepen bilateral trade ties and foster robust commercial ecosystems, featured a panel of industry heads including Afolabi Sobande, Group COO of Computer Warehouse Group; Udeme Ufot, Group Managing Director of SO&U; Yemi Chukwurah, CEO of Seams and Stitches; and Ayeni Adekunle, CEO of BlackHouse Media. The panellists echoed Kadri’s thesis, detailing how structured corporate procurement helped transition their respective businesses from small-scale operations into continental brands.

Established to foster cross-border investment and strengthen commercial links between Africa’s two largest economies, the NSACC continues to serve as a critical platform for strategic policy alignment and enterprise scaling. Stakeholders at the event concluded that sustaining Nigeria’s industrial growth over the next quarter-century will require patient capital, transparent corporate access, and continuous skill acquisition to ensure local enterprises evolve into globally recognised champions.