The data is compelling – according to the World Bank’s recent Global Economic Prospects report, rising global trade and policy uncertainty could weaken growth by 2.3% in 2025, impacting both major economies and emerging markets.

In the face of these headwinds, many businesses are ramping up plans to implement AI, driving new levels of productivity and cost savings. In a March 2025 survey by McKinsey, 78% of respondents reported their organisation already uses AI in at least one business function, up from 72% in early 2024 and 55% a year earlier.

Put simply, AI is the most transformative technology of our lifetime. Its latest iteration, agentic AI—always-on intelligent agents that can learn, reason, and execute tasks independently – will reshape how companies operate, compete, and perform work.

While this new era holds great promise, the journey to becoming an agentic enterprise can feel daunting.

Aligning your business with a tangible agentic AI strategy, readying your technology infrastructure, and understanding the metrics that define success are essential pillars to unlocking the agentic AI opportunity and realising the return on investment (ROI) this moment demands.

Realise trapped value with automation and augmentation

Nearly half of desk workers report spending time on repetitive, low-value, or unrelated tasks to the jobs they were hired to do. Across many industries, operational inefficiencies and unrecognised opportunities are buried deep within data, processes, and human workflows, affecting everything from employee engagement to the bottom line.

The first step to reigniting productivity growth is identifying what’s holding organisations back and finding solutions to these challenges, known as trapped value analysis.

Start by identifying where high-value, underperforming workflows exist. For example, are there manual tasks slowing teams down? Can they be automated? Which customer interactions can be more personalised?

Augmenting human capacity with a digital workforce is key to realising trapped value, enabling smarter, faster decision-making grounded in trusted data and improving personalised customer interactions at scale.

Imagine a marketer at a young company suddenly supported by a team of AI agents to strategise, plan, and deliver best-in-class campaigns. Or a sales rep with instant access to real-time customer data analysis and predictions of which leads are most likely to convert.

Deploying AI agents isn’t about replacing people; it’s about empowering employees to focus on what they do best – strategic thinking, innovating, and building relationships with customers.

Overcoming productivity pain points with a dynamic IT infrastructure powered by digital labour allows businesses to reprioritise their newly available human capacity to where it can have the greatest impact. This is key to realising new revenue streams or business models and is fundamental to unlocking ROI.

Set critical metrics to measure ROI

The advantages of digital labour for optimising operations are clear. However, according to Gartner, over 40% of agentic AI projects will be cancelled by the end of 2027 due to reasons such as unclear business value.

To demonstrate real ROI, organisations need to focus on enterprise productivity, driving business value through quality, cost, speed, and scale.

For customer service teams, measuring ROI can involve assessing customer satisfaction, such as improving experiences with 24/7 support across channels where AI agents triage requests and provide step-by-step instructions using natural responses.

When Salesforce added Agentforce to its Help site in October 2024, the goal was to set a world-class standard for agentic service.

With an AI agent answering customer service questions in natural language, using unified data to provide fast, 24/7 support, our human engineers can focus on complex issues.

To date, Agentforce has handled over 1 million support requests and is projected to save $50 million annually by the end of this fiscal year.

For sales teams, ROI can be seen in faster response times and increased lead qualification. Agentic AI enables scaling with autonomous outreach to answer product questions, handle objections, and book meetings, interacting with customers across relevant channels with personalised responses.

All of these efficiency gains free up time for humans to focus on improving and driving growth in other areas of the business.

Using metrics – from deflection rates to customer satisfaction scores and operational savings — enables organisations to assess the performance of their AI agent initiatives and calculate ROI effectively.

Access long-term value

By focusing on these metrics, African businesses can effectively assess the performance of their AI initiatives and calculate ROI, moving from a position of uncertainty to one of strategic growth.

In essence, the agentic AI era is not about a single, abrupt change but a fundamental shift in how people and technology work together.

By embracing a phased, strategic approach, African businesses can navigate this transition successfully, accelerate productivity, and ultimately unlock significant long-term value. This is the new partnership that will enable businesses to thrive amid today’s challenges.

Appearing on every talk show and in every headline, the technology has, as McKinsey puts it, seen surging interesting since it burst into mainstream media early 2023.

The technology remains in the media because it is relentlessly proving its value across multiple use cases and industries. As a study commissioned by Microsoft and undertaken by IDC found, AI has ‘demonstrable business value’ across key areas such as ‘employee experiences, customer engagement and internal business processes’.

The statistics are equally profound. AI is anticipated to add $10 trillion to the global gross domestic product by 2034, says the IDC survey, with 71% of respondents already using the tech and most seeing a return on their investment within just 14 months.

Amazon predicts it is going to contribute around 600 billion Euros to the European economy by 2030.

Then there are the statistics in Forbes – 64% of companies expect AI to increase productivity, 60% think it will improve customer relationships – and survey after statistic proving that it is exactly what the business needs to succeed amidst the crowd, noise and economic uncertainty.

The challenge really lies in ensuring that the AI promised by the numbers is the AI the business gets to use.

It’s not a plug and play technology (none are) which means companies need to approach its integration with strategic caution. And the first question should be – what cloud strategy should companies be adopting to ensure their AI adoption is both a success and one that aligns with business objectives?

Value is found in ensuring cloud migration – something many companies are still coming to terms with – is for innovation.

Migrate to innovate. This means weaving AI into the process so, at the end of the long hours of planning, migrating and managing cloud infrastructure, there is AI embedded within the business.

Regardless of an organisation’s size, the end result needs to be one that stands firm under pressure from the business and stakeholders and allows for departments and teams to innovate at scale.

The challenge doesn’t lie in the fact that cloud is perfectly capable of bringing AI into the business, but in choosing the right approaches and products.

Right now, every solution has AI attached to it. Everyone has put AI on the tail end of their offerings and now organisations without much experience in AI or how to apply it, are expected to know which application is the right fit for their purpose. The answer lies in two areas – business objectives and proven value.

Yes, AI can give you value but, as a recent Gartner study found, 49% of participants had difficulty estimating and demonstrating this value. And one of the core reasons behind this difficulty is the lack of a coherent strategy.

Once the business understands that an innovation strategy needs to tie into the business strategy, they will immediately step on the road that will take them to the best possible ROI from their cloud and AI investments.

Once strategy is defined, the next step is to prioritise the type of AI. What solution will fit within your business?

Is it easily adopted? Does it slip seamlessly into the gaps and cracks and empower employees to achieve those promised levels of productivity and customer engagement? Microsoft has got this right on multiple levels.

The Azure framework can be customised to fit, regardless of sector or goals, and it comes with AI woven into the very fabric of its capabilities.

Microsoft Copilot is as effortlessly accessible as a drink from the office watercooler and it allows for companies to step right into the innovation. The learning curve and integration challenges are effectively removed.

Azure is a smart approach to a cloud strategy that makes it easy for companies to adopt AI. It is ultimately putting AI within the heart of the business in ways that are practical and relevant..

Practical AI that puts ROI right on the table is found in smart cloud approaches that prioritise strategy. It is also easy found with a partner that understands Azure, AI, cloud frameworks and how to shape these capabilities to fit your unique business model.

When it comes to medium-sized businesses, the allure of the cloud might be undeniable, but there may be a degree of reluctance to relinquish control over vital data and systems when contemplating the best strategy to move forward.

This is where hybrid cloud can come into play – a bridge between the familiar on-premises environment and the vast possibilities of the cloud.

Medium-sized businesses can selectively migrate certain systems, creating a low-risk testing ground, allowing for a seamless integration of cloud capabilities without the fear of a complete overhaul.

In this article, I delve deep into the pivotal role of evangelism and education in nurturing a healthy PR measurement culture within organizations.

The Evolution of PR Measurement

Gone are the days when PR success was solely measured by the number of press clippings or the reach of a media mention.

Today, in the age of digitalization and data abundance, PR professionals have access to an array of sophisticated tools and metrics that enable them to quantify the impact of their efforts accurately.

However, harnessing the full potential of PR measurement requires more than just technological prowess—it demands a cultural shift within organizations.

Evangelism: Championing the Cause of PR Measurement

At the heart of any successful PR measurement culture lies evangelism—the fervent advocacy for the adoption and integration of measurement practices into the fabric of an organization. As a Chief Media Analyst, I have learned that evangelism begins with instilling a deep-seated belief in the transformative power of data-driven decision-making.

Building Awareness and Understanding

One of the primary challenges in fostering a culture of PR measurement is dispelling the notion that PR is an intangible art form immune to quantification.

Evangelism involves educating stakeholders at all levels about the tangible benefits of measurement, from informing strategic planning to demonstrating return on objectives (ROO) and investment (ROI), when applicable.

By building awareness and understanding, evangelists lay the foundation for a receptive environment where PR measurement is valued and embraced.

Cultivating Advocates Across Departments

Evangelism extends beyond mere rhetoric—it entails cultivating advocates for PR measurement across marketing and communications departments and hierarchies.

These advocates serve as catalysts for change, championing measurement initiatives within their respective teams and spearheading collaborative efforts to integrate measurement into everyday PR practices.

By fostering a grassroots movement, evangelists ensure that the commitment to measurement is not imposed top-down but cultivated organically from within.

Aligning Objectives with Organizational Goals

A crucial aspect of evangelism is aligning individual and departmental objectives with overarching organizational goals.

PR professionals must understand how their efforts contribute to broader business outcomes, whether it is enhancing brand reputation, driving lead generation, or supporting crisis management efforts.

By emphasizing the direct correlation between PR activities and organizational success, evangelists inspire alignment and commitment towards measurement objectives.

Education: Empowering PR Professionals for Excellence

While evangelism ignites the spark of change, education fuels the flames of progress. As a Chief Media Analyst, I have recognized that education is paramount in equipping PR professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to execute effective measurement strategies.

Continuous Learning and Professional Development

In a rapidly evolving landscape, stagnant skills are a recipe for obsolescence. Continuous learning initiatives, including workshops, seminars, and online courses, play a pivotal role in keeping PR professionals abreast of emerging trends, methodologies, and technologies in PR measurement.

By investing in professional development, organizations empower their teams to adapt to changing demands and leverage cutting-edge measurement practices effectively.

One key learning hub for PR professionals is https://www.mateplus.com.ng/ the platform also delivers reliable PR measurement and evaluation resources, educational content, and learning solutions specially designed for the Nigerian communications and public relations industry to prove value, ROO (return on objective), and make better communication and PR decisions.

Mastery of Measurement Tools and Techniques

Effective PR measurement requires proficiency in a diverse array of tools and techniques, from media monitoring platforms to sentiment analysis algorithms.

Education initiatives should prioritize hands-on training and skill development, enabling PR professionals to navigate these tools with confidence and extract meaningful insights from complex media data sets.

By mastering measurement tools and techniques, PR professionals enhance the accuracy and reliability of their analyses, ultimately driving informed decision-making and actionable insights.

Cultivating a Data-Driven Mindset

Education transcends technical proficiency—it cultivates a fundamental mindset shift towards data-driven decision-making.

PR professionals must learn to embrace data as a strategic asset, leveraging insights to optimize campaigns, mitigate risks, and capitalize on emerging opportunities.

By instilling a culture of curiosity, experimentation, and evidence-based decision-making, education empowers PR professionals to unlock the full potential of PR measurement and drive measurable impact across the organization.

The Symbiotic Relationship: Evangelism and Education

In the quest to cultivate a healthy PR measurement culture, evangelism and education are not disparate endeavors but symbiotic forces working in tandem towards a common goal. Evangelism ignites the passion for change, fostering a shared belief in the value of PR measurement, while education equips PR professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to realize that vision.

Amplifying Impact Through Collaboration

When evangelism and education converge, the impact is amplified exponentially. By fostering a collaborative ecosystem where PR measurement consultants and PR professionals work hand-in-hand, organizations can accelerate the adoption of PR measurement practices and maximize their impact on business outcomes.

Whether through cross-functional workshops, knowledge-sharing sessions, or collaborative projects, synergistic efforts enable organizations to harness the full potential of PR measurement and drive sustainable growth.

Nurturing a Culture of Excellence

Ultimately, the goal of evangelism and education is to nurture a culture of excellence—a culture where PR measurement isn’t just a task but a mindset ingrained in the DNA of the organization.

By fostering a shared commitment to measurement excellence, organizations empower their teams to transcend mediocrity and achieve greatness, driving continuous innovation, improvement, and value creation.

Conclusion: Embracing the Future of PR Measurement

As the PR landscape continues to evolve, organizations must adapt to the changing realities of the digital age.

The era of guesswork and intuition is giving way to a new paradigm of data-driven decision-making, where insights reign supreme and outcomes are quantifiable. In this landscape, the importance of evangelism and education for nurturing a healthy PR measurement culture cannot be overstated.

By championing the cause of PR measurement and equipping PR professionals with the knowledge and skills necessary to excel, organizations can navigate the complexities of the modern PR landscape with confidence, agility, and foresight.

As a pioneer of PR measurement in Nigeria, I remain steadfast in my commitment to advancing the principles of evangelism and education, driving transformational change, and shaping the future of PR measurement for generations to come.

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Philip Odiakose is the Chief Media Analyst and Managing Consultant at P+ Measurement Services and TMKG Consulting, members of the Media Monitoring and Audit Group (MMAG). Both agencies are members of AMEC and PAMRO.

However, measuring the return on investment (ROI) of OOH campaigns has historically presented challenges due to limited data availability and the inability to track audience engagement in near real-time.

In this article, we will explore how advancements in OOH monitoring and audit methodologies are revolutionizing the way advertisers measure ROI and optimize their campaigns.

The Evolution of OOH Monitoring and Audit:

Traditionally, measuring the effectiveness of OOH advertising relied heavily on manual processes and outdated metrics such as impressions and circulation numbers.

However, with the advent of digital technologies and data analytics, advertisers now have access to a wealth of real-time data that can provide deeper insights into campaign performance.

OOH monitoring involves the use of advanced technologies such as PosterTrack (a proprietary tool by TMKG Consulting), GPS tracking, beacon technology, and computer vision to track the placement and performance of OOH ads in the physical world.

By leveraging these technologies, advertisers can gain visibility into metrics such as ad exposure, compliance, and estimated engagement levels.

Similarly, an OOH audit refers to the process of verifying that OOH campaigns are executed as planned and comply with industry regulations and best practices. Auditing involves physical inspections of OOH placements, as well as the analysis of data collected through monitoring technologies.

Measuring ROI with Precision:

One of the key benefits of OOH monitoring and auditing is the ability to measure ROI with greater precision.

By tracking ad exposure and audience engagement (still a grey area) in near real-time, advertisers can accurately assess the impact of their OOH campaigns on brand awareness, consideration, and purchase intent.

For example, by analyzing data collected from GPS trackers and mobile devices, advertisers can determine the exact number of people who were exposed to an OOH ad and whether they subsequently visited a nearby store or website.

Similarly, computer vision technology can provide insights into audience demographics and behavior, allowing advertisers to tailor their messaging and creative assets to specific audience segments.

Optimizing Campaign Performance:

In addition to measuring ROI, OOH monitoring and auditing also enable advertisers to optimize their campaigns in near real-time.

By identifying underperforming ad placements or creative elements, advertisers can make data-driven adjustments to improve campaign effectiveness and maximize ROI.

For instance, if data analysis reveals that a particular OOHplacement is not generating the expected level of engagement, advertisers can quickly reallocate the budget to more effective placements or adjust the creative content to better resonate with the target audience.

In conclusion, OOHmonitoring and auditing are revolutionizing the way advertisers measure ROI and optimize their campaigns.

By leveraging advanced technologies and near real-time data analytics, advertisers can gain deeper insights into campaign performance, accurately measure ROI, and make data-driven adjustments to maximize the effectiveness of their OOH advertising efforts.

As the OOHadvertising landscape continues to evolve, investing in robust monitoring and audit strategies will be essential for advertisers looking to stay ahead of the curve and drive tangible business results.

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Philip Odiakose is the Chief Media Analyst and Managing Consultant at P+ Measurement Services and TMKG Consulting, members of the Media Monitoring and Audit Group (MMAG). Both agencies are members of AMEC and PAMRO

Security, flexibility, scale and accessibility are key success metrics for organisations looking to gain competitive ground and market share in the modern market, says JOE ASSAD – Technical Engagement Lead: Cloud Infrastructure at Altron Karabina.

Traditional approaches to business remain in flux. This is evidenced by the continued shift towards remote and hybrid working methodologies that allow organisations to better leverage talent, gain access to new markets, and reduce costs.

It is also, according to a recent Forrester Total Economic Impact survey, the reason why many companies are adjusting their technology investments, moving towards cloud-based solutions such as Azure Virtual Desktop to save time, costs and improve productivity.

Companies need solutions that allow them to embed flexibility within the very core of their technology stack so they can spin up virtual instances, manage user access, and connect and collaborate seamlessly – and all within the cloud.

The same survey found that most companies expect the use of virtualised desktops to increase by up to 61% by 2026, with cloud-based solutions (60%) the most popular due to the fact they are easier to manage, have better security and are more accessible for remote and hybrid teams.

In short, they want to move away from the complexity that’s traditionally surrounded building a virtual environment on-prem, and towards a platform that allows them to simply build environments and present them to clients without having to worry about how connections are established or what components are required.

Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) provides organisations with this flexibility and speed. For example, it can spin up a call centre for 50 people within a matter of moments without waiting on 50 machines – anyone can access these machines from anywhere in the world within an environment that’s secure and stable.

This is an invaluable asset, and it is one that has a proven return on investment (ROI).

The Forrester study found that by moving to AVD, users cut their virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) licensing and IT infrastructure costs by as much as 34% a year with a saving on IT maintenance and deployment of 59%.

Productivity increased by 22 person hours per end user while security was 96% faster. ROI tapped in at an impressive 210%.

The technology allows organisations to present a complete desktop experience to users with bespoke business applications served directly to each user, on demand. Each virtual machine is aligned with your organisation’s security standards from the outset and access can be customised per user.

This then allows for improved access control and flexibility for IT teams to allocate machines on demand, and it opens up to scale – any machine can be spun up or down based on demand and is only paid for when they are in use.

The latter is, of course, a significant saving as the infrastructure required to manage each desktop and environment is no longer based on premises. Instead, organisations can have as few as 400 virtual machines per host pool.

It is recommended to have no more than 5 000 machines per host pool, each one spinning up when the others get busy.

The cost of hardware is cut down to the bare metallic bones while employees work as if they are carrying their desktops with them all around the world.

Another significant benefit is the lack of maintenance. Virtual means immediate and secure support through integration with the Azure platform and ongoing application updates, vulnerability patches and security visibility.

Systems don’t age, don’t run in a lifecycle, and don’t demand constant replenishment or asset sweating as they are always the most up-to-date and modernised version available. In itself, this is an exceptional cost and time saving that plays out over both the long and the short term.

It is bolstered by rich visibility into system and virtual machine performance with reporting features that allow for the business to drill down into user profiles and productivity.

The company can then curate machines based on actual usage, reducing spend on unnecessary applications while providing users with exactly the right tools they need to fulfil their roles.

Using the data provided by the system, companies can assess trends in working, application relevance, productivity and capacity to make more informed decisions around expenditure and use cases.

Finally, AVD provides the business with much-needed consistency.

At a time when everything from the economy to electricity to geopolitical instability is the very definition of inconsistency, companies can rely on this technology to deliver exactly the right level of functionality at the right time.

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A cryptocurrency worth $1000 can drop to $5 in a few minutes. It can also rise from $1000 to $20000. This is common in the crypto space. As an investor, it is good to be prepared psychologically to deal with losses. The caveat here is usually “do not invest all your money in buying crypto” or the money you cannot afford to lose.

Just a reminder to the newbies, there are a few exchanges where you can buy or sell your cryptocurrencies. These exchanges also allow you to store your assets there. It’s important to research the exchange that fits your purpose in terms of security, flexibility in registration, and other factors.

However, investing in real estate is ancient. It is not a new phenomenon like cryptocurrency. Past generations or those who acquired wealth all invested in real estate. In fact, the most common financial advice is investing in real estate. It’s a piece of financial advice that even an illiterate can give to anybody. You buy land today with the hope of reselling it tomorrow at a higher price.

Now the big question is, would you invest in crypto or real estate? In other words, would you use your money to buy a coin like Bitcoin, Litecoin, or Ethereum or buy land?

Risks

Buying land or property can be a very difficult decision to make. There are a few things to consider, the location, environment, neighborhood, security, accessibility, land mass, etc.

The process involved in buying a property is rigorous and takes weeks or even to be concluded. The paperwork, legal procedures, settlements, etc. This is not the same as buying a coin.

In 15 minutes you are done buying a coin worth millions. You log in to your Binance, locate the P2P (Peer to Peer) market, identify the seller of the coin, then transfer the money. It’s as simple as that.

There is also a narrative that buying land is more secure than buying a coin. That is not entirely true. There are cases where the same land sold to you is sold to another person or persons. This is common in Nigeria.

“I know a man who bought land from the owners; all the papers were completed and he went ahead to build and moved into it, only to receive a letter from the government saying he should vacate the house as his house has been marked for demolition,” Chuks Ibe, Lead Consultant at Estate Homes and Properties, said in a note.

“He couldn’t believe his ears, according to the letter he was building what is not allowed in that area. The government had already marked that area as an industrial area. So building a residential home was not accepted.”

You don’t experience this when you invest in buying a coin. The only caveat here is that your login details, such as your password, must be secured. If you lose your login details, you lose your investments.

There are also fears of what happens to your assets when crypto exchange no longer exists or crashes. Land can be seen and even touched. This is not the same with cryptocurrencies. The issue of trust is recurrent.

RoI

Hoping to get rich quickly is never a good motivation for investing. No investment comes with guaranteed returns. Although, some investors made big bets years ago and earned millions of Dollars in returns.

Tola Fadugbagbe, Founder, Crypto Master Class who has been at the forefront of educating Nigerians through his content on social media, believes that investing in real estate offers less than the value of returns on crypto (Bitcoin) investment.

“If you bought $1 worth of Bitcoin five years ago, you’d be worth over $100,00 today. Which real estate investment will offer you that?”

Bitcoin has seen more volatility than almost any other market. But it has offered a 14,000 percent growth rate for at least 5 years. Real estate investment in 10 years will not offer you a 1000 percent growth rate.

The volatility is nothing new and is a big reason experts say new crypto investors should be extremely cautious when allocating part of their portfolio to cryptocurrency.

However, it is important to note that the Nigerian real estate sector is growing at a rate of 8.7 percent, which is faster than the average GDP growth rate of 7.4 percent, according to a new report by accounting and auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Conclusion

Anyone who wants to invest in cryptocurrency should first acquire knowledge and understand how the market works. The psychology of trading or investing in crypto is also important. These skills give you the confidence to enter the market and explore.

Investing in crypto will always be better than real estate in the long run.