Ikeja Computer Village: Connect Market CEO wants Nigeria’s tech market leaders to ‘think big’

Mr. Tunji Adeyinka, Chief Executive Officer Connect Marketing Services Limited has challenged business owners in Ikeja Computer Village, Nigeria’s largest technology market cluster to start thinking out of the box, if they hope to scale up in today’s competitive business landscape. According to the CEO of Connect Marketing, business leaders in Ikeja Computer Village, popularly called “Otigba”, have to start thinking out of the box if they still want to remain relevant in the technology business. Mr. Adeyinka, the CEO of Connect Marketing, gave the advice in a thought leadership keynote presentation, “Small is Unsafe” delivered at Technology Times Breakfast Meeting, which was attended by business leaders from Ikeja Computer Village. The event also witnessed the official unveiling of Computer Village Expo 2015 (CVE ‘15); an annual showcase event of Nigeria’s largest technology market inspired by Technology Times to connect buyers and sellers of consumer technology under one roof on December 9-12, 2015. [blockquote right="pull-right" cite="Tunji Adeyinka, CEO of Connect Marketing Services Limited"] 'In explaining how the competition in the jungle relates to the real-life business terrain, Adeyinka says that, ‘’our life is wildlife and the kind of market where we participate in is like wildlife where the big players devour the smaller ones. According to the CEO of Connect Marketing, “no matter how small or big the market we operate in, there is always a fight where the big always overpower the small.’’' [/blockquote] [caption id="attachment_33228" align="alignleft" width="2141"] <img class="size-full wp-image-33228" src="http://new.technologytimes.ng/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/CVE-Photo-2.jpg" alt="Mr. Tunji Balogun, Chairman of Brian Computers; Mr. Tunji Adeyinka, Thought Leadership Keynote Speaker and Managing Director, Connect Marketing Services Limited and Mr Shina Badaru, Founder/CEO, Technology Times, at the formal brand unveiling of Computer Village Expo 2015 (CVE '15) inspired by Technology Times held recently in Lagos." width="2141" height="1316" /> Mr. Tunji Balogun, Chairman of Brian Computers; Mr. Tunji Adeyinka, Thought Leadership Keynote Speaker and Managing Director, Connect Marketing Services Limited and Mr Shina Badaru, Founder/CEO, Technology Times, at the formal brand unveiling of Computer Village Expo 2015 (CVE '15) inspired by Technology Times held recently in Lagos.[/caption] To illustrate his point to in his thought leadership keynote, the CEO of Connect Marketing began by playing a short video clip of a wildlife chase in which a bigger carnivore devoured its prey because of its size advantage. In explaining how the competition in the jungle relates to the real-life business terrain, Adeyinka says that, ‘’our life is wildlife and the kind of market where we participate in is like wildlife where the big players devour the smaller ones. According to the CEO of Connect Marketing, “no matter how small or big the market we operate in, there is always a fight where the big always overpower the small.’’ According to Mr. Adeyinka, “it is important for business people to have a conceptual framework for competition where you devise a market strategy on how best you can compete in your market space.’’ He advised the business owners to look beyond the now and tap into the harvest of opportunities that abound especially in this tech-driven age where virtually most businesses are now online. “You are competing with a virtual market and an organized brick and mortar shop like the shopping malls, big plazas and you are dealing with a large percentage of consumers who are willing to pay for convenience, so it’s better you start thinking big now.’’ According to Mr. Adeyinka, “a lot of us operating in this market operate as a retail channel, so we need to think out of the box. The fear of operating in this channel is that the risk I see like a market in Computer Village is that in the next three years, that market will consolidate and about 70 per cent of the businesses there will be eaten up.’’ The CEO of Connect Marketing told attendees at the event that, “if your presence is only limited to Computer Village alone, then your risk is 80 per cent. That is why increasingly, we need to think start thinking big.’’ [caption id="attachment_33227" align="alignleft" width="1961"] <img class="size-full wp-image-33227" src="http://new.technologytimes.ng/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/CVE-Photo-1.jpg" alt="Mrs. Bukky Aigbokhai, MD of Dabmol Computers (left); Chief Obinna Obienu, MD, IT World; Mrs Adenike Shittu, MD, Mojoy Computers; Mr. Tunji Balogun, Chairman of Brian Computers; Mr. Tunji Adeyinka, Thought Leadership Keynote Speaker and Managing Director, Connect Marketing Services Limited and Mr Shina Badaru, Founder/CEO, Technology Times, at the formal brand unveiling of Computer Village Expo 2015 (CVE '15) inspired by Technology Times held recently in Lagos." width="1961" height="1183" /> Mrs. Bukky Aigbokhai, MD of Dabmol Computers (left); Chief Obinna Obienu, MD, IT World; Mrs Adenike Shittu, MD, Mojoy Computers; Mr. Tunji Balogun, Chairman of Brian Computers; Mr. Tunji Adeyinka, Thought Leadership Keynote Speaker and Managing Director, Connect Marketing Services Limited and Mr Shina Badaru, Founder/CEO, Technology Times, at the formal brand unveiling of Computer Village Expo 2015 (CVE '15) inspired by Technology Times held recently in Lagos.[/caption] He adds that, “we need to start looking at various options moving forward and one of such options is collaboration. The future is about partnership and collaboration. We need o start looking out for people who have competence in our business areas and synergize with them. That way, we would achieve more.’’ Complementing the suggestion by Mr. Adeyinka’s keynote presentation, Mr. Tunji Balogun, the Managing Director of Brian Integrated System, also underscored the need for more collaboration among the business leaders in the market. Mr. Balogun, who is also the immediate past President of Computer and Allied Product Dealers Association (CAPDAN), the umbrella association of the Computer Village said that, “it is about time for us to start trusting each other and you can’t do business on your own. Even if you are not merging, you can have consortium of companies where you put your force together and go after the market.’’ According to the ex-CAPDAN President, “I was one of those that started Computer Village and I saw the risk and but the empowerment for us right now is to come together to think out of the box and to start adding value to what we do.’’ Also speaking at the event, Mr. Shina Badaru, Founder and CEO of Technology Times, told attendees that the CVE ’15 Expo was inspired by a shared commitment to work together with business owners in Computer Village to promotes the nation’s largest technology market cluster. [caption id="attachment_33229" align="alignleft" width="2144"] <img class="size-full wp-image-33229" src="http://new.technologytimes.ng/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/CVE-Photo-3.jpg" alt="Chief Obinna Obienu, MD, IT World (left); Mrs Adenike Shittu, MD, Mojoy Computers; Mr. Tunji Balogun, Chairman of Brian Computers; Mr. Tunji Adeyinka, Thought Leadership Keynote Speaker and Managing Director, Connect Marketing Services Limited and Mr Shina Badaru, Founder/CEO, Technology Times, at the formal brand unveiling of Computer Village Expo 2015 (CVE '15) inspired by Technology Times held recently in Lagos." width="2144" height="1168" /> Chief Obinna Obienu, MD, IT World (left); Mrs Adenike Shittu, MD, Mojoy Computers; Mr. Tunji Balogun, Chairman of Brian Computers; Mr. Tunji Adeyinka, Thought Leadership Keynote Speaker and Managing Director, Connect Marketing Services Limited and Mr Shina Badaru, Founder/CEO, Technology Times, at the formal brand unveiling of Computer Village Expo 2015 (CVE '15) inspired by Technology Times held recently in Lagos.[/caption] ‘’Over the last couple of years, Technology Times has been collaborating with the leadership of the market associations to explore opportunities and initiative that we can collaborate on in to foster growth in the market”, he told the forum. According to the CEO of Technology Times, “we envision the CVE ’15 Expo to be the first of its kind, a showcase event that will bring showcase the very best of Computer Village and connect consumer technology buyers and sellers.’’ CVE ’15 scheduled to hold December 8-9, 2015, at the Haven Event Centre in Ikeja GRA, promises to leave an unforgettable experience for participants, Badaru said noting that, “we have picked a location that will be convenient for buyer and sellers to meet together”, Mr. Badaru told attendees at the official announcement of CVE 2015. “Our vision is to make CVE ’15 be the most important event that will gather business leaders in Nigeria tech market cluster and our projection is to attract over 2 million visitors in the country to the show and another 20 million cyber visitors”, added Mr. Badaru, who confirmed that there will be daily live video feeds of the event on the Internet.

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