The Nigerian Marketing Research Association (NiMRA) has advocated the strategic adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) across Nigeria’s research and business sectors as a catalyst for deeper insights, innovation, and sustainable growth.
The call was made at the opening of its inaugural International Conference held in Lagos, with sessions spotlighting the transformative power of AI and other emerging technologies shaping the future of research, marketing, and data-driven decision-making.
With the theme, ‘Beyond the Horizons: AI and the New Frontiers,’ the first day of the four-day conference focused on client engagement and the growing role of AI in redefining customer insight, improving business agility, and advancing data-driven strategies in a fast-changing market.
The conference, which was held at the Lagos Marriott Hotel, attracted industry leaders, marketing professionals, data scientists, and corporate clients, many of whom stressed the urgent need for digital transformation, predictive analytics, and innovation in a post-pandemic economic landscape.
Seyi Adeoye, NiMRA president, described the event as a significant reset for the association, which he admitted had operated at a ‘low vibe’ for too long. He noted that the association was now repositioning itself as a force for collaboration and relevance in the digital age.
“AI is already shaping how we work, but the real magic will happen when we begin to merge native human intelligence with machine intelligence. We are not just talking about AI, we are building for what comes after AI,” he said.
Adeoye disclosed that the conference will include a client-focused summit, a social and political summit, and a main plenary session, all geared toward repositioning the research industry around standards, talent development, and collective impact.
On her part, Ajibike Seun-Ajayi, NiMRA vice president, stressed the need for the research industry to be more client-driven and future-facing. “We must listen to the heartbeat of our clients, know their pain points, and deliver value through smarter research tools,” she said.
Seun-Ajayi noted the association’s interest in attracting Gen Z professionals and preparing the next generation of market researchers through the integration of AI and automation.
In his keynote address, Wole Ogundare, CEO of Carthena Advisory, challenged Nigerian businesses to reimagine their operations using data-backed strategies to stay competitive amid economic uncertainty.
He outlined seven imperatives for navigating today’s business environment, including reinventing business models, optimising cost structures, upgrading talent pipelines, and redefining stakeholder relationships.
Ogundare warned that challenges such as tax regimes, foreign exchange volatility, and infrastructure deficits in energy and logistics are significantly squeezing profit margins.
He urged organisations to “reignite market play” by fusing traditional research with real-time digital tools to enable agile responses and data-led growth.
“The ability to turn data into competitive advantage is now the hallmark of resilient organisations,” he said. Olubayo Adekanmbi, founder of Data Science Nigeria, delivered a compelling presentation on the transformative impact of AI on data collection, analytics, and actionable insights. He argued that research must evolve beyond theory to deliver measurable business value.
“If your understanding of AI doesn’t deliver actionable business results, it’s just noise,” he declared. Drawing on his experience in the telecoms sector across Africa and the UK, Adekanmbi highlighted how AI-enabled profiling and predictive analytics have empowered firms to deliver hyper-personalised services, such as offering customised data plans to first-year university students.
He also unveiled ‘Agency AI,’ a proprietary platform capable of analysing diverse data formats to autonomously suggest pricing strategies, product launches, and marketing mix optimisations.
