Nigerian businesses must move beyond protectionist expectations and build the operational capacity required to compete globally, the Chief Financial Officer of MTN Nigeria, Modupe Kadri, has said.
Kadri made the call on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at the Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Commerce (NSACC) Breakfast Forum held at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Victoria Island, Lagos. The event, sponsored by MTN Nigeria under the theme “Building Local Content Together: 25 Years of Shared Growth,” brought together business executives, industry leaders, and corporate decision-makers across advertising, manufacturing, media, and technology.
Delivering the keynote address, Kadri emphasized that local content development must be rooted in commercial discipline, quality, and technical capacity rather than simple entitlement.
“Local content must not mean substandard quality, nor should it mean entitlement simply because a company is Nigerian,” Kadri said. “Shared growth is not charity; it is not public relations. It is inverted business logic that happens when value circulates through businesses, communities, and governments.”
She noted that while Nigeria’s local content journey over the last two decades focused primarily on basic services, civil infrastructure, and logistics, the next phase of economic self-reliance requires indigenous enterprises to master advanced capabilities, including artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and cybersecurity.
Unlocking Sustainable Supply Chains
The forum featured panel discussions with prominent business figures, including Udeme Ufot, Group Managing Director of SO&U; Ayeni Adekunle, CEO of BlackHouse Media (BHM); Afolabi Sobande, Group COO of Computer Warehouse Group; and Yemi Chukwurah, CEO of Seams & Stitches.
The panellists shared firsthand experiences on how structured procurement relationships with corporate giants enable local vendors to scale from small domestic operations into brands with continental reach.