Zoho urges Nigerian businesses to prioritise data security

The Country Manager, Zoho Nigeria, Mr Kehinde Ogundare, has urged Nigerian businesses to make data security, privacy, access control and business continuity key considerations when adopting technology.

Ogundare made the call on Thursday during a fireside chat on data sovereignty and enterprise technology at the GrowthX by TechEconomy conference in Lagos.

He said the issue had become increasingly important as Nigeria moved towards stronger data localisation and sovereignty requirements.

According to him, data sovereignty goes beyond where data is physically stored, as it also involves who controls the data, how it is used, who can access it and whether businesses can retrieve it when needed.

Ogundare said businesses, particularly fintech companies that handle large volumes of sensitive customer information, needed to pay greater attention to the security and privacy implications of their technology platforms.

“Where does your data reside? This should be among the first questions businesses ask technology providers,” he said.

He also advised companies to examine the business continuity plans of their technology providers to ensure their operations and data remain protected during service disruptions or if a provider stops operating.

The Zoho executive stressed the importance of internal access controls, saying employees should only have access to information required for their specific duties.

He explained that controlled access could allow departments to collaborate effectively while reducing the risk of unauthorised access to sensitive information.

Ogundare identified infrastructure, security, privacy, cost and scalability as important factors businesses should consider when adopting cloud and enterprise technology.

On the growing use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), he cautioned businesses against adopting technologies simply because they were popular.

He said companies could spend heavily on AI and other emerging technologies without achieving meaningful results if the tools were not properly understood or suited to their business processes.

The IT expert also identified trust as an important factor in technology adoption, urging enterprise technology providers to understand the Nigerian business environment and work with customers to identify their specific needs before recommending solutions.

Ogundare said technology adoption should be driven by business value rather than trends, adding that businesses should ensure their technology platforms could support customer retention, acquisition and other day-to-day operations.

He identified three key questions Nigerian businesses should ask before adopting an enterprise cloud platform: whether the technology could grow with the business, integrate with existing operations and be effectively used by employees.

According to him, technology that cannot scale with a growing business could become inadequate, while systems that fail to integrate with existing platforms could create additional operational challenges.

He further advised businesses against restructuring their entire operations simply to accommodate inflexible software.

Ogundare said technology should instead be adaptable enough to fit existing business processes while helping organisations identify and improve areas of weakness.

The discussion highlighted the growing importance of data sovereignty, cybersecurity, privacy and practical technology adoption as Nigerian businesses increasingly rely on cloud platforms, AI and other digital tools to expand their operations.

The GrowthX by TechEconomy is an executive conference and dialogue platform focused on Nigeria’s digital economy, with emphasis on strategic partnerships, infrastructure development and policy innovation.