By Martin Oluba N. Ph.D, DBA[1] “Although thought-provoking, these are not substitutes for analytics to navigate successfully in blue waters. In the absence of analytics, executives cannot be expected to act on the call to break out of existing competition”. - Chan W. Kim and Renee Mauborgne (2005). Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested [...]
Before the “Okada” destroys another life!!
By Martin Oluba Accurate statistics on the menace of Okada (the commercial motorcycle) riders may be difficult to obtain for obvious reasons but that nevertheless does not understate the truth that a lot of these riders have been daylight agents of death and criminality. There recklessness and obvious disregard for traffic rules have either sent [...]
Is Convening a National Confab Truly the Answer?
By Martin Oluba A few days ago, a group of eminent of Nigerians gathered to call for a national confab. Many of us know that the call for a discussion of how the various ethnic nationalities in Nigeria can co-habit is not a new one. The call dates back to the confederacy suggestion in 1966-7 [...]
Value Chain Analysis: Smart Platform for Robust Business Strategy Design
By Martin Oluba N. Ph.D, DBA[1] “Value chain analysis plays a key role in understanding the need and scope for systemic competitiveness” - Raphael Kaplinsky and Mike Morris (____). The First Important Strategy Design Step! There are obvious strategic value-additions when a number of persons that are knowledgeable about a particular line of business gather [...]
Why Not Outsource Your Corporate Research Function to Gain Competitive Advantage?
By Martin Oluba N. Ph.D, DBA[1] “…outsourcing R&D even occurs when organizations realize that this is their core competency, i.e. the key differentiator between them and their competitors” - Power J. Mark et al (2006). Is Your Research Department Dead? Perhaps you are not performing as well as you ought to because your corporate research [...]
Between the Ideal and the Ordeal: The Business of Data in Nigeria’s Corporate Competitiveness
By Martin Oluba N. Ph.D, DBA[1] “The future belongs to the companies and people that turn data into products” Mike Loukides (Data science and data Tools) The Business of Data Two major concerns often expressed by participants in our executive programmes on business analytics and research are data inadequacy and poor data quality. We know [...]
2012: Being Competitive in Nigeria’s Uncertain Business Environment
By Martin Oluba N. Ph.D, DBA[1] “Another danger lies at the other extreme: if managers can’t find a strategy that works under traditional analysis, they may abandon the analytical rigor of their planning process altogether and base their decisions on gut instinct”. – Mckinsey Quarterly (June, 2000). Introduction Perhaps many Nigerians and Nigerian firms knew [...]
Enhancing the net-benefits from our capital market reforms
Martin Oluba The effectiveness and success of specialized and technical reforms of the capital market comprising mostly transparency improvements, strengthening of the underlying micro-structure of the market – such as robust legislative and supervisory mechanisms – is most pronounced when propped by other critical reform measures. At least three of such reform measures/elements have been [...]
The economic future of Northern Nigeria
By Martin Oluba Development economics is replete with literature that follows the North-South growth and trade model which in its simplest forms shows that a common feature among countries is to have a more developed Northern region with the Southern part trailing behind. Many examples abound which shows that the Northern hemisphere is far more [...]
Do not fall prey to pastors of corporate strategy
Martin Oluba A few months from now, many organizations will start shopping for strategy development firms to help them with their repositioning plans against the year 2012. Many consulting firms claim to be adepts in offering this service. Unfortunately many Nigerian firms that have sought strategy facilitation assistance have ended up either disappointed or ended [...]
