Zoho Nigeria: Digital adoption is a business strategy, not charity

Keypoints

• Zoho Nigeria has urged female entrepreneurs to embrace digital tools to scale their businesses and remain competitive in the 2026 economy.
• Speaking at the Guardian Woman Festival in Lagos, Country Head Kehinde Ogundare noted that while Nigeria has many female-owned firms, fewer than 30% utilize digital operations.
• Zubaida Aliyu, Zoho’s Sales Manager, argued that digital inclusion should be treated as a core business strategy rather than Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
• Digital tools are seen as “amplifiers” for traditional strengths like relationship-building, helping to remove barriers related to location and infrastructure.
• The company reaffirmed its commitment to providing affordable, enterprise-grade software to help women transition from manual processes to scalable digital systems.

Main Story

At the month-long Guardian Woman Festival themed “Reciprocity,” Zoho Nigeria positioned digital adoption as the missing link for the country’s female-led business ecosystem.

Despite Nigeria’s status as a leader in female entrepreneurship on the continent, a significant “digital gap” remains. Kehinde Ogundare, Zoho’s Country Head, pointed out that the hurdle for most women isn’t a lack of ambition or capital, but the slow transition to smart tools.

He emphasized that these technologies don’t replace the human touch such as community engagement, but instead provide the efficiency needed to manage larger operations.

The discussion shifted from empowerment to economics during the “Women in the Business of Digital Innovation” panel. Zoho’s Zubaida Aliyu challenged organizations to stop viewing the support of women in tech as “charity.”

She highlighted that inclusive digital strategies are essential for capturing untapped market value, as technology effectively levels the playing field for entrepreneurs who may lack access to physical infrastructure. By shifting from manual ledgers and physical-only sales to digital platforms, women-led enterprises can access wider mentorship networks and international markets.

The Issues

The primary challenge is the digital-adoption gap; even with high smartphone penetration, the transition to enterprise-level software (CRM, accounting, and project management) remains below 30% for women. Authorities must solve the problem of affordable accessibility, as many small business owners perceive high-end digital tools as too expensive or complex. Furthermore, there is a structural-bias risk; if digital innovation strategies aren’t inclusive, women-led businesses may be left behind as the 2026 economy moves further into automation. To bridge this, Zoho suggests a shift in mindset where digital systems are seen as the “engine” of a business rather than an optional add-on.

What’s Being Said

• “The difference is not talent, not capital, not ambition, but digital adoption,” stated Kehinde Ogundare.
• Zubaida Aliyu emphasized the financial cost of exclusion: “Organisations that ignore inclusive digital strategies are leaving money on the table.”

What’s Next

• Zoho Nigeria is expected to roll out more localized training workshops aimed at onboarding female entrepreneurs to cloud-based business suites.
• The Guardian Woman Festival outcomes are anticipated to spark new public-private partnerships focused on digital literacy for SMEs in the South-West region.
• A move toward “Paperless SMEs” is likely to gain momentum throughout 2026 as more business owners look to cut costs associated with manual operations.
• Digital inclusion metrics will likely be integrated into the government’s periodic reviews of the “Renewed Hope” industrial growth agenda.

Bottom Line

For Nigerian women in business, the “next level” isn’t just about hard work; it’s about smart work. As Zoho puts it, smart tools create the smart businesses that will eventually form the backbone of a strong, resilient 2026 economy.

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