My Thoughts on TechFest 2018

This week was a very exciting one  for me and the team at Diamond Bank. I am very proud to say that the TechFest 2018, was a huge success and I am grateful to all our partners – MTN, Visa, Microsoft, NIBSS, Deloitte and Touche, Interswitch and Beat FM for coming together for this game changing event. Through this event, we can reaffirm the amazing potential of Nigeria, its youth, SME’s and the entrepreneurial spirit. 

TechFest was especially close to my heart for these reasons: 

1. Change starts at home: TechFest is an experiential platform that brought together SME’s, investors, ideators and stakeholders of the economy and showcased the best technology talent that Nigeria has. The atmosphere was all about collaboration, co-creation and partnerships. Although I’ve been to a number of tech events in the past, what really moved me about the TechFest was that it was hosted in Lagos, Nigeria. It was home and I could witness all the amazing work in technology happening on home ground. As the saying goes, if you want to change the world, start at home. This event couldn’t have been more special for me. 
2. Making people’s life better: During the event, I was asked ‘Why Technology’. It didn’t take me a second to answer this – Why not. Through technology we at Diamond Bank are constantly working to ensure that our customers have the best products and services that focus on being simple, easy and quick. We want to build a stronger relationship with our customers by making their lives better. We want to make sure we are there for them at every step of their lives. TechFest was all about bringing value to Nigerians through technology.
3. Transforming industries: One of the key observations from this event was how technology has transformed and is transforming various industries at all levels. As panelists, we discussed about the importance of financial innovation and inclusion, big data applications and how it can help small businesses grow scale. Another industry that was benefitting from technology is agriculture and farming. The panelists spoke about ‘Precision Farming’ and how best to employ technology applications for various operations and the education of our farmers. Healthcare too, is an industry that can vastly transform by using better technology solutions to ensure easy, affordable and timely healthcare for all Nigerians. I was truly touched by all the amazing work already going on using technology and all the solutions it can help provide going forward.   

One of the things I mentioned at the TechFest, and something I truly believe in is this - If you want to go fast, you go alone. But if you want to go far, you must carry people along with you. The event truly reflected this and it gave me immense hope for a better tomorrow for Nigerians and Africa as a whole.