AI Isn’t The Future, It’s The Present-Adigwe

Philip Adigwe is a Nigerian Marketing expert using AI to transform customer experience. In this interview, he shares his journey, insights, and why he believes the future of African business is smart, scalable, and powered by AI.

You’ve worked with some major players over the years. How did your journey into digital marketing and AI begin ?

It started with a passion for solving problems using technology. Over the past ten years, I’ve had the chance to work with global brands across different sectors hospitality, FMCG, eCommerce, and travel. I’ve held regional and global marketing roles, leading digital transformation projects, managing large budgets, and building performance-driven systems that scale. One thing that stood out early was how much time and money businesses spent answering routine customer questions. At one point, I led a project to build a multilingual AI assistant for a group of hotels. That one tool increased upsell revenue by 18 percent and significantly reduced the workload on the customer support team. From there, I was hooked. I saw what AI could do when applied the right way, and I began building more solutions—not just for internal use but for clients as well.

You’ve worked in the Middle East, Europe, and now the UK. How has your experience across markets influenced your approach?

It’s helped me understand that while markets differ, customers everywhere want the same things—speed, clarity, and convenience. Whether you’re in Dubai or Lagos, people get frustrated when they can’t get answers quickly. And businesses suffer when those gaps lead to lost sales or poor experiences.
My approach has always been about removing friction. That could mean optimizing a digital campaign for better conversion or training an AI assistant to respond in a way that feels natural to the customer. Working across regions has also taught me how to build solutions that are scalable but still feel personal and locally relevant.

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You recently founded Chatpitality. What problem is the company trying to solve?

Chatpitality was born from the realization that many businesses—especially in places like Nigeria—are still stuck with legacy systems when it comes to customer engagement. Calling a support line and waiting endlessly or sending an email that never gets answered is still very common. It shouldn’t be that way in 2025.
We build smart AI assistants that live on your website, WhatsApp, Instagram, and other platforms. They can answer customer questions, collect feedback, take bookings, and even communicate in Pidgin English if needed. The goal is to help businesses serve customers faster, better, and at a lower cost.

Do you think businesses in Africa are ready for AI adoption ?

Absolutely. In fact, I think they need it more than most. Running a business in Nigeria is not easy. Power costs are high, staff costs keep rising, and customers are very price-sensitive. If a business can reduce operational overhead while improving service, that’s a huge win.
The good news is that you don’t need to build your own AI system from scratch. We take care of everything—from setup to training—and plug the assistant directly into your existing channels. If your customer can use WhatsApp, they can now get service instantly, without the business needing to hire a full-time support team.

Who are your ideal clients?

Any business that handles customer communication at scale. That includes restaurants, hotels, banks, fintechs, schools, government agencies, and online retailers.
For example, if a restaurant is getting tons of calls about opening hours or menu options, we can automate that. If a university needs to manage thousands of student inquiries, we can build a system that responds immediately with accurate answers. In short, if your business talks to customers every day, you should be thinking about automation—not just to save time, but to improve experience and scale faster.

How does your current company benefit from the AI tools you’ve introduced?

In my current role, I’ve led the adoption of AI-driven systems that support everything from paid advertising to customer service. We’ve used AI to automate Google Ads copy at scale, manage A/B testing more efficiently, and improve campaign performance across multiple regions.
One of the biggest wins has been in customer engagement—using chat-based systems to handle common questions and direct customers to the right information instantly. It’s about working smarter. When AI handles the repetitive tasks, your human team can focus on strategy and creativity—the things that really move the needle.

What results have you seen over the years from the AI solutions you’ve built?

Across different projects, I’ve seen chatbot systems resolve up to 40 percent of customer inquiries, reduce support workload by over 60 percent, and drive significant revenue growth through upselling and lead qualification.
One campaign I led at a global hotel chain generated over a quarter of a million dollars in bookings through smart targeting and automation. At the agency level, I helped reduce customer acquisition costs for clients by 12 percent just by optimizing how we used data and AI in performance marketing.
These are the kinds of results that show the real value of merging strategy with the right tools.

What excites you most about bringing this work to Nigeria and other African markets?

It’s the opportunity to create meaningful change. In many ways, we have a chance to leapfrog the old systems and go straight into modern, intelligent infrastructure. AI can help a small business compete with a big brand. It can help a government agency serve citizens faster. It can help a school scale support without scaling costs.
What excites me is not just the technology itself, but the potential to build tools that understand our languages, our culture, and our way of doing business. That’s where I think Africa has a unique opportunity—to build locally relevant solutions using global knowledge.

Any advice for young professionals looking to follow your path?

Be curious. Stay adaptable. And focus on solving problems, not chasing titles. Everything I’ve learned has come from asking questions, trying things, failing at times, and learning along the way. AI, marketing, tech—these fields move fast. The key is to keep learning and stay connected to real-world needs.
Also, don’t wait for permission to start something. Whether it’s building a side project, testing an idea, or learning a new skill, just begin. That’s how I started—and it’s what keeps me going.

Final thoughts?

I believe we’re entering a new era where technology will define how businesses grow, especially in emerging markets. My goal is to help create tools that are smart, affordable, and locally relevant. If we get that right, we’re not just building better businesses. We’re building a stronger economy—one that works for more people.

And I’m excited to be part of that journey.