Recently, MTN Nigeria convened industry leaders and top executives for the NextNow Business Forum, held at the Oriental Hotel in Victoria Island. The event, delivered in partnership with Bayobab and META, brought together senior marketing and customer experience professionals from medium, large, and public sector organisations to explore the future of digital communication and business enablement.
The forum’s main highlight was the live demonstration of MTN’s cutting-edge Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS), an integrated digital communication solution designed to revolutionise how businesses engage their customers across multiple channels. The platform promises real-time, scalable, and personalised communication tools that can be embedded into existing business systems, enabling companies to foster stronger customer relationships and improve operational efficiency.
During the event, Akinbulejo Onabolu, Head of Enterprise Segment at MTN Nigeria, emphasised the platform’s potential to transform customer engagement. “Today, we showcased the CPaaS platform, which marks a complete transformation in how businesses engage with their customers. This product is designed to create affinity, drive engagement, and build meaningful connections between brands and their customers. With its upcoming launch in Q3, we are excited about the tremendous impact it will have on businesses looking to thrive in today’s digital landscape.“
The global CPaaS market is experiencing rapid expansion, and according to Future Markets Insights, it is projected to grow from $14.7 billion in 2025 to $72.4 billion by 2035, reflecting a robust compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.4%. This surge is driven by businesses’ increasing demand for scalable, cloud-based communication solutions that enhance customer engagement and automate workflows. In Nigeria, CPaaS adoption is accelerating as companies seek to integrate real-time communication features, such as voice calls, SMS, WhatsApp, video calls, and email, directly into their applications, streamlining customer interactions and reducing operational costs
The interactive fireside chat featured Omowunmi Olatunbosun and Stephen Agbi, Manager, Market Management at Bayobab. Together, they discussed the transformational power of CPaaS and how it allows businesses to engage with customers in a streamlined, omnichannel way. They explained that CPaaS supports personalised communication that speaks directly to customer needs and preferences, using mobile-first, rich media experiences. They also emphasised that this form of digital engagement is easy to use and delivers consistent value across every stage of the customer journey.
The NextNow Business Forum also featured keynote addresses from MTN’s leadership and strategic partners. Topics ranged from MTN’s strategic vision for digital business enablement to infrastructure support for digital transformation in medium and large businesses.
Another key highlight was the presentation on “Driving Business Growth Through Digital Tools, Why WhatsApp Matters,” delivered by Korhan Yunak, Head of Programs for Telco Ecosystem Partnerships in EMEA, META. In an article by The Nation, Nigeria now boasts 51 million active WhatsApp users, ranking 10th globally, with a penetration rate of 95.1% among the country’s online population, the highest in the world. In 2023, Nigeria had the fifth-largest number of WhatsApp Business users, generating estimated revenues of $382 million. This widespread adoption underscores WhatsApp’s effectiveness as a channel for customer engagement and business growth.
With the NextNow Business Forum, MTN Nigeria reaffirms its commitment to enabling businesses across sectors to harness the power of digital communication for growth, operational efficiency, and improved customer satisfaction.