Digital marketers must respect privacy – Idaresit

Mr. Abasiama Idaresit

Mr. Abasiama Idaresit is the Chief Executive Officer and Founding Partner, Wild Fusion Digital Centre. In this interview with IFE ADEDAPO, he speaks on the growth of digital marketing in Nigeria and need for better regulation.

How would you rate Nigeria in terms of infrastructural and human capital development?

Well, one of the key problems we have in Nigeria is the level of our infrastructure and that includes both physical infrastructure and human infrastructure; so, for a market like Nigeria, which is Africa’s largest market by Gross Domestic Product and also Africa’s largest digital market, we are talking about 54 million Internet users and 120 million active phone lines; we need people who are skilled, you need people that actually understand how to use technology to achieve business objectives. So, that’s the gap that is in the market. We want to be able to plug in that space, we want to be able to build the local economy, we want to be able to empower people with the skill set required to harness the potential and opportunities that digital technology brings or offers.

As a fast growing player in the digital market space, can you share your dreams for the Nigerian market?

We’ve been in operation since 2010, and we’ve gone really far; I mean starting a business from the scratch with $250. Where we are today in terms of being able to build capacity, empower people and work with some of Africa’s leading brands, and enabling them to achieve success, I think we’ve gone really far. And not just in Nigeria, we have gone across the borders of this country to set up in Ghana and Kenya and employ people across the continent. We are not stopping at that, we are saying to ourselves, we can do a lot better, we can do a lot more, we can empower our countries to harness the potential that are in digital technology. For us, we have core focuses on digital technology and we are stopping at nothing to ensure this happens.

Just recently, we signed a partnership agreement with the School of Media and Communication, Pan-Atlantic University in this regard. We are going the extra mile to be able to work with key stakeholders and players in this space to ensure that we offer these opportunities to the local market.

What are the partnership arrangements you are exploring in driving the country’s digital market?

Our key partner is the Digital Marketing Institute of Ireland, which is the digital marketing training institution that is globally endorsed by certified individuals and with certified centres across the world to deliver digital marketing training. We are offering Diploma in Digital Marketing, a professional digital marketing qualification, which is internationally recognised and also accredited by the Scottish Qualification Board. Another key partner we have is the School of Media and Communication of the Pan-Atlantic University, and we are working closely with them to deliver educational content to our students.

We also do have Wild Fusion, which is the agency of which I founded four years ago, which is a key partner to this, providing us with the insight and resources we need to be able to deliver on digital marketing training contents for students.

What are the constraints you have seen in this environment that sometimes discourage you?

Challenges are not uniquely a Nigerian thing. It cuts across all small businesses. You are going to have to deal with infrastructural problem. Power supply is another issue. These are some of the things we have to deal with. It’s not just infrastructure because we have people that need their skill set to be upgraded or enhanced to be able to deliver quality service that is international. So, it is a combination of both physical and human infrastructure; and that’s how big the challenges are. So many times, I have looked at it and told myself that maybe it’s not worth it. But, you just have to summon the courage; you just have to look beyond those challenges and say, I must never give up; I must still continue; I must still forge ahead despite the challenges.

What are the things you think can be done to cover the skill gap in the country?

I think it is a combination of factors. All hands must be on deck and what that means is that the government, the private sector and non-profit organisations, among others, must be able to build the skill set that is required to build the economy. Basically, you’ve seen what some of the non-profit organisations and the churches have done by setting up universities. You’ve seen what some private sector players have done as well as the government. We, as part of the organised private sector, are very keen to ensure that we roll up our sleeves and contribute in our own little way to ensure that we develop capacity locally.

What do you think the country is missing as far as digital marketing is concerned?

I think one of the key things the country is missing is skill set. If you look at the more developed environment, again it’s an issue of infrastructure. Other countries are building great platforms, even South Africa has built social networks like 2go that has well over 10 million Nigerians on the platform; Facebook and Twitter were all built in an environment where you have skilled people and the infrastructure is there to help them. As long as we continue to invest in our people and empower them, I’m very optimistic that in the nearest future, we will start seeing the country begin to gain economically from some of the opportunities that exists in the digital space.

Who regulates your business?

Well, our business is under the marketing and advertising sector. So, we are regulated by the Advertising Practitioner Council of Nigeria and we are members. Though digital, there are structures to regulate activities in our business.

Do you think the current regulations are the best you can get?

Even across the world, there is no best regulation. Even in the United States, the government is calling on Google, trying to regulate them some more. The government is also upgrading. So, it’s a constant thing, it is a constant progression when it comes to regulation.

What are the areas you think can be better regulated in your line of business?

In terms of digital, it is very important that the regulators, not just APCON, but also Nigerian Communications Commission upgrade. On the spamming of users via mobile SMS, for example, you need to be able to opt into a database and give consent for marketers to be able to advertise to you because they are breaching your privacy when they do send out SMSs that are unsolicited. So, that is one area that needs regulation. And the government obviously does have bodies that are looking into this, and I have no doubt this is one of the things that will be resolved in the nearest future because the right way it should be done is for people to give consent for you to send them emails or SMSs. I’m sure you’ve received a few of that and never happy with the development.

How can we correct some of these anomalies in the technology world?

It is one of the things we are doing at Wild Fusion Digital Centre. We want to empower people with knowledge. So, under business ethics, how do you conduct yourself ethically as a digital marketing professional? The respect for privacy and permission marketing are some of the ethical ways of using digital technology. So, we are very strong on this concept and this principle, and we know that in the coming years, we would have been able to build ethical consciousness among digital marketing professionals. And as they go back to their businesses, they will begin to apply these principles and they will obviously help build a much better ecosystem.