Hardship: ‘How Businesses Can Stay Afloat’

A digital science expert, Emmanuel Udofia, has expressed concern over the dwindling economy impacting negatively on businesses and forcing many to go under as Nigerian leaders continue to search for the magic wand to steady the system plagued with high level inflation and corruption.

For businesses and other trades including government business to remain functional and profitable, Udofia, the author of the book titled: ‘The Digital Leader’, advocated for leaders to “leverage on technology,” as the way to go in business sustainability, especially during these hard times.

Addressing a conferees of book readers drawn from the academia, students, politicians and members of different professional inclinations during the October Reading Session organised by the Uyo Book Club (UBC) held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom at the weekend, the petroleum engineering consultant proffered that harmonious blend of human resources and technology in business management as antidote.

Although he allayed the fears of technology in the form of Artificial intelligence (AI) completely taking over human jobs, Engr. Udofia, pointed out that only repetitive jobs will be affected by the emerging digital transition and transformation era, stressing that “technology has the potential of complimenting works to be done properly.”

“If you want to gain relevance as a business, leverage on technology,” he stressed, noting that banks and other businesses in corporate Nigeria, have imbibed such innovations to promote ease of doing business with ultimate productivity outputs.

“Technology is a moving train,” he stressed, and cautioned business owners and leaders on the importance of digitalisation and improving on the current old system of management following failures of related projects globally.

The book reviewer, Ubon Usoro, an estate surveyor, in his appraisal, noted that the author, has done justice on how to address the complex management issues in workplace situations bothering on leadership style, people or domain expertise, organisational culture, governance, defined business process, innovation and technology.

He, therefore, made a case for the book to be introduced and adopted in the curriculum of tertiary institutions across the country.

The president of the Uyo Book Club, Dr. Udeme Nana, who doubles as host on the occasion, appreciated the resource persons and participants for their contributions in stimulating intellectual discourse and solicited for the establishment of books clubs in various domains for the revival and sustainability of the dying reading culture amongst the people.