Lynda Saint-Nwafor: Impacting Businesses Through Digital Transformation
Late in July 2018, commuters along Lekki Expressway encountered an odd billboard. It was see through, and in it a man seemed to be working. Was it a product launch, or a new work space invention? Everyone was talking about the encounter.
The phenomenon soon went viral on social media, generating unending speculations, and becoming skit material for social media users, within three days, the conversations reached nearly 7 million people on Twitter and Instagram with over 9 million impressions. Man-In-The-Box was born.
Aptly named ‘Man in the Box’, the initiative marked the formal relaunch of MTN’s Enterprise Business Solutions. Four days into the wave, Lynda Saint-Nwafor, Chief Enterprise Business Officer at MTN Nigeria Communications Limited explained that the campaign symbolised MTN’s unwavering dedication and desire to help support business growth and transformation, using a wide range of world-class business solutions, backed by cutting-edge technology.
Over 2,400 entrepreneurs applied to showcase their products while 79 met the selection criteria. For a 10-week period, the businesses enjoyed free advertising for 24 hours, as details of their offerings were displayed on both sides of an LED ‘box’ screen.
Chief Executive Officer of Little Tulips Kids Spa, Iniye Emelife, acknowledged a 50% increase in bookings and inquiries after her business was showcased in the box. The business also experienced nearly 90% increase in followership and visibility across all social media platforms. Olufunmilayo Gombe, founder, Event Nanny, stated that sales peaked by 10% while the social media following has increased by over 1,000 in the 24 hour period.
Two years later, MTN’s Enterprise Business Solutions is still going strong, under Lynda Saint-Nwafor’s expert leadership. This comes as no surprise as Lynda is a veteran in Network Planning, Project Management, Organisational and Business Transformation, as well as People Management.
A graduate of Engineering, Lynda obtained her BSc from Enugu State University in 1996, and became a valuable addition to the MTN team, when she joined as Systems Planning Engineer in the Networks Division in 2002.
Lynda began her career in 1994, as Trainee System Analyst with Data Sciences Nigeria Limited, where she amassed a wealth of experience, before leaving to head the Engineering, Development & Project Management Department at EMIS Telecoms Nigeria in 2001.
Since joining MTN Nigeria in 2002, Lynda has been on the rise. In 2011, she became the Chief Technical Officer, until June 2016, when she assumed the position of Chief Enterprise Business Officer at MTN Nigeria, where she steers the ship that leads enterprise and ICT strategy in MTN.
According to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, Small and Medium scale Enterprises (SMEs) in Nigeria have contributed about 48% of the national GDP in the last five years. However, there is still a long way to go for SMEs, as they face several challenges including lack of skilled manpower, multiplicity of taxes, high cost of doing business, among others.
In recognition of this need, MTN’s Revv programme, under the supervision of Lynda Saint-Nwafor, as the Chief Enterprise Business Officer, was created. The business scape around the world is fast changing, a transformation made even more urgent by the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding of technology for business advancement has become critical. The Revv Programme is aimed at helping SMEs relearn, rethink and retool their businesses for growth in the emerging digital economy.
Small and Medium Enterprises, which according to a report by the NBS are estimated at 41 million, are too important to the Nigerian economy to be allowed to suffer. Adequate equipping and exposure are required to guarantee that they not just survive, but get a chance to thrive.
As economies were forced to shut down to contain the spread of the pandemic, SMEs in Nigeria were the worst hit. To cushion this blow, The Revv programme organized masterclasses aimed at imparting relevant knowledge and applicable skills to business owners. Practical business resources and solutions were provided to enable efficient remote operations.
An important tool that every business owner should possess today is data, as the application of insights gleaned from data is essential for business growth. Every business decision has to be informed, and data enables informed decisions. Advisory services in the form of daily insights, access to free digital training, advice from experts were also provided to business owners that were a part of the programme.
According to Lynda, concern for SMEs is at the core of the Revv programme, “We have the interest of SMEs at heart and whilst we do not provide all the services that are applicable, we are willing to partner with organisations that provide access to technology tools that are relevant to SMEs on a platform that makes it is easy for them to access at the right price.”
Just as several businesses were able to benefit from the publicity that appearing alongside Man in the Box granted them, the same opportunity will be granted to businesses, to generate brand awareness, this time on MTN’s online property, where their offerings will be seen by millions.
The Revv Programme aims to reach 10,000 businesses, to provide much needed marketing and technology insight and support, to ensure the continued growth of SMEs in Nigeria. At the Revv masterclass held in September, during a session themed: “Smart Marketing & Sales – Your Customers are out there”, industry experts showed the SME owners in attendance how to guide their businesses towards effective sales and marketing especially when digital is their only avenue.
Panelists and facilitators at these Revv masterclasses are business and technology experts, with years of experience in leading and growing companies, including the Chief Marketing Officer, MTN Nigeria, Rahul De, Chief Sales & Distribution Officer, MTN Nigeria, Adekunle Adebiyi, and Founder, BTDTHUB, Dipo Awojide. Others were Founder, Trainquarters, Stephanie Obi, Founder and CEO, Terragon Group, Elochukwu Umeh and Country Sales Director, JCDecaux, Opeoluwa Filani.
According to the NBS, Nigerian SMEs employ 84% of the country’s workforce. The growth and development of small and medium sized businesses through technical and digital transformation will be instrumental in lifting a significant number of the country’s 82 million poor people out of poverty.
To achieve this objective, Nigeria will need the contribution and investment of large successful corporations like MTN Nigeria who can leverage the expertise of their most talented seasoned business executives, like Lynda Saint-Nwafor, in this important nation-building exercise.
