Techeconomy Business Series | Meet Ogechi Okwechime, Ekundayo Ayeni, Adepeju Ajayi, Bukayo Ewuoso this Wednesday

Staff Writer — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 10:52:31 +0000

Techeconomy, Africa’s leading technology, business and digital economy publication, has announced an upcoming edition of its Techeconomy Business Series, a virtual webinar that focuses on topical issues and trends across sectors of the economy.

This month’s edition focused on “Navigating a Career in Tech Sales”, is scheduled for Wednesday, January 28, 2026, from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM (WAT)

Register using the link here

It will bring together seasoned professionals from across Africa’s technology ecosystem to share practical insights, real-life experiences, and career guidance for individuals looking to build or transition into successful careers in tech sales.

“As Africa’s digital economy continues to expand, tech sales has emerged as a critical growth driver, bridging innovation, customer adoption, and revenue generation,” said Joan Aimuengheuwa, managing editor at Techeconomy.

“The session is designed to equip professionals, young talents, and business leaders with a clearer understanding of the skills, mindset, and career pathways required to succeed in this fast-evolving field”, she added.

The panel features accomplished industry experts including Ogechi Okwechime, divisional head, Growth Marketing (Enterprise), Interswitch Group; Ekundayo Ayeni, co-founder, BusinessPlus; Adepeju Ajayi, manager, Mobile Advertising, MTN Nigeria; and Bukayo Ewuoso, Business Growth Consultant.

The session will be hosted by Imoh Anselem, an IT Project Manager and Customer Success Specialist.

Participants will gain insights into:

Breaking into tech sales and identifying entry opportunities
Key skills and competencies employers look for
Career growth strategies within Africa’s digital economy
Lessons from real-world sales and growth experiences

Webinar Details:

Date: Wednesday, January 28, 2026 | Time: 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM (WAT) | Format: Virtual (Zoom)

Registration/Access Link: https://shorturl.at/mMvLu

Attendance is free, but registration is required.

“The Techeconomy Business Series is part of Techeconomy’s ongoing commitment to fostering informed conversations, capacity building, and talent development across Africa’s technology and business landscape”, the managing editor added.

OTT Business Messaging Set for 45% Surge by 2027 as WhatsApp Redefines Market Dynamics

Peter Oluka — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 07:50:55 +0000

In the fast-changing world of digital communication, a quiet revolution is underway, one that could reshape how businesses talk to their customers.

According to a new report by Juniper Research, over-the-top (OTT) business messaging traffic, led by platforms like WhatsApp, is projected to skyrocket from 390 billion messages in 2025 to more than 560 billion by 2027, marking a staggering 45% growth in just two years.

At the heart of this surge lies WhatsApp’s game-changing pricing model. The Meta-owned platform has slashed authentication rates, the kind used for one-time passwords (OTPs) and verification messages, by 50–90% compared to traditional A2P (Application-to-Person) SMS.

The move is no coincidence; it’s a calculated step to win over enterprises that have long depended on network operators for secure user communication.

“By first securing authentication traffic, WhatsApp is laying the groundwork to move into higher-value business messaging,” explained Molly Gatford, Senior Research Analyst at Juniper Research.

“Once enterprises are onboarded for authentication, WhatsApp must upsell to marketing use cases, where termination fees are far higher and the real revenue opportunity lies.”

Why it Matters to your Business

For years, mobile network operators dominated the enterprise messaging market through A2P SMS, powering everything from OTPs to promotional campaigns. But the rise of OTT players like WhatsApp, Telegram, and Viber has changed the rules, offering richer engagement, encryption, and global reach at a fraction of the cost.

In Nigeria and across Africa, where businesses are doubling down on digital transformation and financial inclusion, WhatsApp’s expanding footprint is poised to influence how banks, fintechs, eCommerce brands, and even government agencies communicate.

Imagine receiving your transaction alerts, delivery notifications, and customer support all through one WhatsApp chat, secure, fast, and cost-effective. That’s the future Meta is betting on.

The Operators’ Dilemma

Juniper’s report warns that mobile operators must rethink their approach — and fast. To remain competitive, operators will need to adopt “use case-based” pricing models for both SMS and RCS (Rich Communication Services), leveraging AI-powered analytics to classify and price messages more intelligently.

This strategy could help them highlight the added value of RCS, Google’s SMS evolution, which supports multimedia, interactivity, and verified business profiles, while maintaining telco control.

“By adopting a use case-based pricing strategy that is consistent across SMS and RCS, operators will enable enterprises to better assess RCS’s added value,” Gatford noted. “This helps operators retain business messaging traffic across these channels and avoid losing market share to OTT platforms.”

Looking Ahead: Opportunities and Risks

The A2P & Business Messaging Market 2025–2030 report, which includes forecasts across 61 countries and 146,000 datapoints, suggests that the coming years will see a tug-of-war between OTT disruptors and traditional network providers.

While WhatsApp may currently hold the pricing advantage, operators still have one critical edge, trust and infrastructure. Enterprises handling sensitive data, such as banks and public institutions, continue to rely on carrier-grade security and compliance frameworks that OTT players are still catching up to.

Still, the momentum is unmistakable.

As enterprises chase more personalized, real-time engagement with customers, the boundaries between messaging platforms and telecom networks are blurring.

The winners of this new era will be those who adapt fastest, whether it’s through collaboration, pricing innovation, or leveraging data-driven insights.

Insight:

With WhatsApp Business API already powering millions of customer interactions across Africa, Nigeria’s telecoms and fintech players face a strategic choice, compete, collaborate, or risk being sidelined in the next wave of digital customer engagement.