Nigerian business leaders turn to Google to gain competitive edge in privacy-first landscape

Onome Amuge

The imminent demise of third-party cookies has left marketers in Nigeria and beyond scrambling to adapt to a new privacy-first approach to marketing, while still providing a personalised customer experience. This challenge was the focus of a recent roundtable hosted by Google West Africa, which brought together leaders from some of Nigeria’s largest companies, including FairMoney, Konga, Mondelez, Stanbic IBTC, and Zenith Bank.

According to reports, businesses recognise that building consumer trust is essential in a world that increasingly values privacy. In this new era, adapting marketing strategies to be more privacy-focused is not just a necessity but a strategic move towards building sustainable  customer relations. This transition challenges businesses to innovate while maintaining transparency and respect for consumer data privacy, turning potential constraints into avenues for deeper consumer engagement.

Felicia Otolorin, senior industry lead, West Africa, Google, who described customer trust as the “new currency”, observed that  consumers are demanding more control over their data, and the savviest businesses are seeing this shift as an opportunity. 

“This is about reimagining how we engage with technology and data, ensuring that innovation and privacy go hand-in-hand,” he stated.

The discussions also highlighted the importance of prioritising privacy and transparency, while still delivering high-performing solutions. Google showcased its own privacy-first solutions, such as Google Tag Manager and Enhanced Conversions. These tools,it showed, offer marketers the ability to achieve their objectives without relying on third-party cookies. Success stories shared during the roundtable, also acknowledged that these solutions have proven effective in helping businesses navigate the transition to a privacy-first landscape.

Oluwadamilare Akinwunmi, chief data & AI Officer at Interswitch, remarked that businesses and operators in the technology sector currently stand at a crucial sector.

“The winners of tomorrow will be those enterprises that strike a balance between innovative, data-driven marketing and a profound commitment to data protection and privacy-first practices. The essential dialogues we engage in, and the subsequent actions we take, set us on the path to achieve precisely this,” Akinwunmi said.

The discussions at the roundtable provided a snapshot of a critical moment of transformation in Nigeria’s digital marketing landscape. As the industry shifts to a privacy-first approach, collaboration and innovation are key. This transition requires a new way of thinking about how to engage with consumers, and the roundtable demonstrated the important role of technology and partnerships in driving this change.

Otolorin, who spoke on behalf of Google, highlighted the company’s dedication to supporting Nigerian businesses in building a more privacy-focused future. He noted that with the power of AI and other privacy-centric technologies, Google hopes to empower its partners to not only adapt to the changing landscape, but to thrive within it.