Riding the wave of West Africa’s digital economy with business management software Companies in Nigeria and the rest of the region who do not embrace the digital world will be at a serious disadvantage to their competitors LAGOS, Nigeria, October 26, 2015/APO (African Press Organization)/ -- West African enterprises that want to keep pace with a changing consumer, employee and business landscape need to invest in the right business management solutions that will enable them to digitise their business processes. That’s the word from Magnus Nmonwu , Regional Director for Sage West Africa, who warns that companies in Nigeria and the rest of the region who do not embrace the digital world will be at a serious disadvantage to their competitors. Nmonwu’s comments follow the recent Connect Commerce Conference where Netplus Advisory claimed that e-commerce and online businesses in Nigeria attracted investments worth US$200m over the past three years. “With more than 93 million Internet users in Nigeria alone (Nigerian Communications Commission statistics), the region’s people form a formidable digital marketplace. In Nigeria, Facebook has more than 15 million monthly active users,” says Nmonwu. “These Internet users want the speed, simplicity and convenience of buying goods and services right from their mobile phones. As employees, they want mobile and Web tools to help them do their jobs – from anywhere at any time.” “Businesses that don’t keep up with changing consumer and employee behaviour will lose ground to their competitors.” According to Nmonwu, companies that want to stay ahead of the trend towards online business need to put modern business solutions in place that are ready for the mobility, the Internet of Things, analytics, and other digital technologies that are transforming the business environment. Nmonwu adds that with the rapid growth of the mobile web, e-commerce and social media in West Africa, leading employers are thinking about how they can use technology to engage with their workforce. For example, progressive enterprises are implementing employee self-service to automate business processes while making life more convenient for employees. An HR package that includes employee self-service functionality enables employees to apply for leave, file business travel expenses, access payslips and update their personal information from their computers, smartphones or tablets. This saves employees, managers and the HR department a great deal of time and paperwork, while also integrating all these activities into the financial functions of the company. “With the move to an online world, businesses need to think about how they will adapt,” Nmonwu concludes. “This means that they need to become more agile, access data for improved decision-making and interact with stakeholders in a more personalised manner. In addition to thinking about how they will prepare for mobile customers, West African organisations also need to be ready for digital employees. Those that do the necessary groundwork will be in a strong position to attract, retain, and develop the best talent.” Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of Sage.Contacts: Idea Engineers (PR agency for Sage) Clive Moagi Tel:       +27 (0)11 803 0030 Mobile: +27 (0)73 4116 023 Clive@ideaengineers.co.za Del-Mari Roberts Tel:       +27 (0)11 803 0030 Mobile: +27 (0)72 5958 053 delmari@ideaengineers.co.za Magnus Nmonwu, Regional Director for Sage West Africa - Biography: Magnus Nmonwu is responsible for the growth and positioning of the Sage brand in West Africa, a fast-growing territory that the company has targeted for strategic investment in the years to come. He brings to his role more than 13 years of experience in consulting for multinational and national companies in the areas of taxation, payroll administration and compliance. Before joining Sage, Magnus was the unit head of the IES, PAYE and Payroll Outsourcing group at KPMG Nigeria. Magnus holds a bachelor of science, marketing from the University of Uyo, in Nigeria's Akwa Ibom State. He is an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Payroll Professionals (CIPP) – UK. About The Sage Group plc Sage energizes the success of businesses and their communities around the world through the use of smart technology and the imagination of our people. Sage has reimagined business and brings energy, experience and technology to inspire our customers to fulfil their dreams. We work with a thriving community of entrepreneurs, business owners, tradespeople, accountants, partners and developers who drive the global economy. Sage is a FTSE 100 company with 14,000 employees in 24 countries. For more information, visit www.sage.com.