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Nigerian businesses must move beyond relying on local patronage and build the skills, technology and operational standards needed to compete globally, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Financial Officer, Modupe Kadri, has said.
Kadri made the call at a Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Commerce (NSACC) breakfast forum held on August 27, 2026, at Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, where business leaders examined the future of commercial and industrial cooperation between the two countries.
According to the MTN executive, the development of genuine local content should be driven by business competitiveness, quality and strong governance rather than the assumption that Nigerian companies should receive preferential treatment simply because they are locally owned.
Local Content Must Deliver Quality
Kadri argued that stronger relationships between multinational companies and indigenous suppliers require more than procurement commitments.
She identified predictable demand, effective governance and consistent delivery standards as essential ingredients for building sustainable local enterprises.
Her position was that local participation should not translate into lower standards, stressing that Nigerian companies must be capable of delivering products and services that meet international expectations.
The message comes as companies across the country increasingly look to technology-driven sectors for new growth opportunities.
AI, Cloud and Cybersecurity Become Next Frontier
Reflecting on 25 years of bilateral trade and industrial development, Kadri said the nature of opportunities available to Nigerian businesses is changing.
While earlier phases of local participation were heavily concentrated around areas such as civil infrastructure and basic logistics, she said the next phase would require deeper technical capabilities.
In particular, she highlighted artificial intelligence, cloud computing and cybersecurity as areas where indigenous enterprises would need to develop stronger expertise.
The shift means Nigerian companies seeking to participate in the country’s expanding digital economy will increasingly have to invest in technical talent, technology infrastructure and specialised capabilities.
Kadri also argued that economic development should be viewed as a commercial ecosystem in which value is created and circulated among businesses, communities and government rather than as an act of corporate charity.
Corporate Procurement Can Build Bigger Businesses
The NSACC session brought together executives from different industries to discuss how Nigerian companies can scale and participate more effectively in multinational supply chains.
Panel members included Afolabi Sobande, Group Chief Operating Officer of Computer Warehouse Group; Udeme Ufot, Group Managing Director of SO&U; Yemi Chukwurah, Chief Executive Officer of Seams and Stitches; and Ayeni Adekunle, Chief Executive Officer of BlackHouse Media.
The executives shared experiences of how structured corporate procurement and business relationships had helped their companies grow from smaller operations into businesses with broader, including continental, reach.
The discussions reinforced the argument that access to large corporate markets can provide indigenous businesses with an important pathway to scale, provided they can consistently meet the required standards.
Skills and Capital Critical to Local Enterprise Growth
The forum also highlighted the need for a broader ecosystem capable of supporting Nigerian businesses as they scale.
Stakeholders pointed to patient capital, transparent access to corporate opportunities and continuous skills development as important requirements for producing stronger indigenous enterprises.
For companies operating in technology-intensive sectors, the emphasis on skills is particularly significant as AI and other emerging technologies reshape business processes and demand for specialised expertise.
The NSACC, established to strengthen commercial relationships and encourage cross-border investment between Nigeria and South Africa, continues to provide a platform for discussions around enterprise development and economic cooperation.
The central message from the session was that Nigeria’s next phase of industrial growth will depend increasingly on whether local companies can transform from beneficiaries of domestic preference into globally competitive suppliers.
As AI, cloud computing and cybersecurity become increasingly important to modern businesses, indigenous enterprises that invest in quality, talent and technological capability could be better positioned to capture opportunities emerging across Nigeria and the wider African market.
