Industry experts have raised concerns that declining product quality, workplace stress, and cultural barriers are increasingly undermining Nigeria’s ability to deliver effective products.
Speaking at Scrum Day Nigeria in Lagos, themed “Building Better Products-Sooner, Safer and Happier”, speakers highlighted the risks associated with the rapid adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the pressures of speed-driven product development.
Sam Adesoga, Convener of the event and Managing Partner at ValueHut Consulting, said while organisations often prioritise speed, this can come at the expense of quality and employee wellbeing, leading to burnout and reduced efficiency. He emphasised the need to balance quick delivery with product integrity and staff satisfaction.
Adesoga also pointed to cultural factors slowing Scrum adoption in Africa compared to regions like the UK and the US. Hierarchical workplace structures in Nigeria, where junior employees may hesitate to question authority, can hinder effective teamwork unless adapted by skilled practitioners.
Jeremiah Odey, Principal Product Owner at Gopaddi, warned that relying solely on planning risks short-term gains without sustainable growth. He noted that AI, particularly agentic systems, offers productivity gains but should complement rather than replace human teams.
Bukola Ajayi, General Manager of Architecture and Engineering at MTN Nigeria, stressed the need for leadership buy-in and investment in training as key to successful transformations. Early failures in adopting Scrum, she noted, offered critical learning opportunities.
Other experts, including Dolapo Otegbayi of DKO Consulting and Abimbola Babalola of Sterling Bank Plc, highlighted the importance of aligning innovation with market realities, embedding quality thinking throughout the development process, and fostering constructive disagreement to drive better outcomes.
The consensus among participants: AI and modern frameworks like Scrum hold great promise for Nigeria, but organisational culture, employee wellbeing, and responsible adoption are critical to translating technology into sustainable, high-quality products.
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