The Digital Development Programme Trust Fund has estimated that 35 to 45 per cent of jobs in Nigeria will require some level of digital skill.
According to a New Telegraph report, in order for that to happen on a large scale, the young entrepreneurs would also need the requisite skills to market themselves online in whatever markets they want to reach. “At the very least, those entrepreneurs should have easy access to people with those skills.”
He said: “These same young people are also entrepreneurial and have a growing pool of successful entrepreneurs from across the region and continents to draw inspiration from.” Speaking on digital marketing, the Global Chief Marketing Officer, Aleph Group, Inc, Elyse Estrada, said every entrepreneur can go global with the emerging technology.
According to her, the dream of every entrepreneur is to have a global customer base, stating that such dream could be achieved with the right digital skills. “After all, nothing shows you’ve made it like people all around the world buying your products or digital services.
Until recently, getting to that point was reserved for a selected few who manage to expand outward after saturating their home markets. “Today, thanks to e-commerce and digital marketing in particular, even entrepreneurs in niche fields can build a global customer base.
Whether they’re building an online fashion empire or selling handcrafted designer decor, an entrepreneur in Accra or Lagos can compete on a global scale with their counterparts in Paris or New York. “To ensure that they have the best chance of doing so, however, it’s critical that they market themselves on the most relevant online platforms with the highest reach of potential consumers,” she said.
On the growth potential of emerging markets, Estrada said the growth opportunity was achievable by the entrepreneurs targeting emerging markets with rapidly growing online populations.
She said Nigeria, for example, was set to add 35 million new internet users by 2026, according to Statista, while in Ghana, World Bank figures indicate that 58 per cent of the population is online, with the number of internet users having grown more than six percent between 2020 and 2021.
“Not only does this opportunity for growth exist from industry momentum, it also exists from demographic dynamics. Both of these markets have incredibly young populations. In Ghana, the median age is 21 and in Nigeria, it’s a shade over 18. As populations in the rest of the world age out, it’s to these often underserved markets that businesses around the world will look to for growth.
“This young population is increasingly becoming tech-savvy and connected. They want and expect the same kinds of consumer experiences they see their counterparts in other parts of the globe having. This means that with the right messages on the right platforms, businesses can reach these consumers and make sales, no matter where they might be based.
“But these young people are also looking to develop their digital skills so they can seek careers in the highgrowth industries that promise economic advancement,” she said.
