Broadcasting
Why is Localisation Crucial for Breaking into New Markets?
By Hyther Nizam, President – MEA, Zoho Corp.
Nigeria has the largest market in Africa with a GDP standing at $514.05 billion in 2021 and a population of over 200 million people. The business scene in Nigeria is faced with many challenges and the survival of any business in this market is dependent on the adoption of successful strategies.
One successful strategy for businesses entering the Nigerian market is localisation. A strong long-term localisation strategy will help in establishing a presence among locals, earning their trust and eventually building brand loyalty.
It is equally critical, however, for businesses to understand that localisation entails more than just providing pricing in local currencies. Instead, it has to be a holistic approach that involves customers, employees, and other relevant stakeholders.
Understanding localisation
Before digging into why localisation is so important and how to undertake it successfully, let’s discuss what it actually means. Localisation refers to the adaptation of a product or a marketing strategy to meet the needs of a specific locale through language, culture, or other relevant factors.
Localisation can be achieved in a number of ways. For example, a product company can offer a local language user experience (UX) and provide vernacular customer support. However, if a company simply uses a translation tool that doesn’t take into account local nuances, such a localisation attempt will create a negative brand perception.
On the other hand, a holistic approach can have major benefits for a business, including easier entry into new markets, increased customer satisfaction and brand loyalty, and ultimately improved revenue.
Beyond translation
Making your product or service available in the local language and providing support are the first few steps towards localisation. There are other considerations you should make too.
For example, if you have an online offering, when you localise it to right-to-left (RTL) languages such as Hebrew, Persian, and Arabic, you should also enable a right-to-left oriented UX layout for better user experience.
Even something as simple as automatically detecting which date format to use in a specific territory (dd/mm/yyyy vs mm/dd/yyyy, for example), or using a comma or dot when writing a large number, can go a long way in building brand affinity.
Local pricing is also important as it allows customers to avoid currency fluctuations. Furthermore, you can integrate your product with local payment gateways and other locally-popular third-party apps in order to increase adoption.
A culture of localisation
Real localisation, however, goes beyond localised offerings. It should be inculcated into your business’s culture. That means taking local cultures and ways of working into consideration when you enter new territories.
At Zoho, we have adopted an approach called “transnational localism”. It brings together the best features of global connectivity with local knowledge and insights. We hire locally in the new territories and train the new employees so that they intimately understand our various offerings and brand values. They, in turn, bring with them a deep understanding of the local markets, and help adapt the offerings.
Ultimately, if your employees buy into this attitude, they’re also more likely to feel empowered to cater to the needs of local customers. This will enable smoother entry into new markets.
Taking advantage of the moment
It’s also worth pointing out that there’s never been a better time to take this kind of holistic
approach to localisation. The past two years have accelerated digital transformation, and customers are more willing to adopt new products and offerings. Thanks to the rise of remote work, meanwhile, there are a whole host of workers who are ideally suited to working for global businesses and who can offer their expertise when it comes to localisation.
The businesses that take advantage of this unique set of circumstances to build fully localised offerings and an open culture of localisation will put themselves in the best possible position to succeed in their expansion plans.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) have jointly sued the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) over what they described as an “arbitrary, unconstitutional, and unlawful” threat to sanction broadcast stations and presenters.
The development was disclosed in a Sunday statement signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, deputy director, and Onuoha Ukeh, general secretary of the Nigerian Guild of Editors.
According to the statement, SERAP and NGE challenged a recent directive by NBC, warning presenters and journalists against “expressing personal opinions as facts,” “bullying or intimidating guests,” and failing to maintain neutrality.
The statement reads, “SERAP and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) have filed a lawsuit against the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) over the arbitrary, unconstitutional, and unlawful ‘Formal Notice’, which threatens to sanction broadcast stations and presenters for allegedly ‘expressing personal opinions as facts, bullying or intimidating guests, or failing to maintain neutrality.’
“The NBC had recently threatened to sanction broadcast stations and presenters who ‘express personal opinions as facts’ or ‘bully and intimidate guests,’ claiming it had ‘identified a sustained increase in breaches of the 6th Edition of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code across news, current affairs, and political programmes.’”
In the suit marked FHC/L/CS/854/2026 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court in Lagos State, SERAP and NGE asked the court to determine whether the various provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code relied upon by the NBC in the directive are inconsistent with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended) and the country’s international human rights obligations.
According to the statement, the groups disclosed that Femi Falana (SAN), human rights lawyer, would lead a team of senior lawyers to represent SERAP and NGE in the lawsuit.
SERAP and NGE asked the court to declare that the provisions of the 6th Edition of the Broadcasting Code used by the NBC are vague and constitute a fundamental breach of press freedom guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights standards.
The statement added, “SERAP and NGE are asking the court for a declaration that the provisions of the 6th Edition of the Broadcasting Code used by the NBC are vague and overly broad and constitute a fundamental breach of freedom of expression and media freedom guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights standards.”
The groups also sought an interim injunction to restrain the NBC, its agents and other authorities from imposing sanctions on broadcast stations and presenters based on what they described as “unlawful provisions of the 6th Edition of the Broadcasting Code”, pending the hearing and determination of the motion.
“SERAP and NGE are also seeking an order of interim injunction restraining the NBC, its agents or privies, whether jointly or severally or any other authority, from imposing sanctions on broadcast stations and presenters based on the patently unlawful provisions of the 6th Edition of the Broadcasting Code, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed simultaneously in this suit,” the statement concluded.
Globacom continues to celebrate African creativity as its sponsored programme African Voices on CNN International features London based photographer and multidisciplinary artist Ejatu Shaw this week. The episode highlights her journey, her art, and the stories behind her work.
Ejatu Shaw’s journey into photography began in 2013 during a family trip to Sierra Leone, a moment that sparked a passion which has since shaped her creative path. Born in 1996, the British Sierra Leonean artist later went on to earn a master’s degree in photography arts from the University of Westminster in 2020.
Her work explores identity in a personal and expressive way, drawing from her Islamic faith and African heritage. She is inspired by classic African studio photographers such as Malick Sidibé, Sory Sanlé, and Omar Yahia Barram. Through self-portraits and visual storytelling, she brings her memories and experiences to life.
Shaw’s talent continues to gain global recognition. In 2025, the British Fashion Council named her a New Wave Creative.
She has also photographed top names including Angela Bassett, Cynthia Erivo, and Usain Bolt, and worked on projects for major platforms like EBONY, The Guardian, The Sunday Times, and Vogue. She also designed the album cover for Craig David.
The programme will air on Saturday at 7:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. On Sunday, it will show at 3:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., with repeats on Monday at 3:00 a.m. and 5:45 p.m.
QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit will hold its second edition on August 11 in Lagos, bringing together leaders across the creative, business and policy spaces.
Convened by Mighty Media Plus, publishers of online newspaper QEDNG, the summit brings together conversations at the intersection of creativity, enterprise and influence, with a focus on strengthening Nigeria’s creative economy.
Reflecting on the inaugural edition, Iyanda said the summit drew participation from respected figures across sectors, including group managing director of SO&U Udeme Ufot as chairman and founder of The Africa Soft Power Group Dr Nkiru Balonwu as keynote speaker, alongside panellists such as filmmaker Kunle Afolayan, All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) founder Mike Dada and executive director of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) Dr Shaibu Husseini who contributed to discussions on the direction of the creative economy.
“The first edition showed that there is a strong interest in serious engagement around the creative economy. We had contributions from experienced voices who helped set the tone for the kind of platform we are building,” Iyanda said.
Building on the success of its inaugural edition, the summit continues to expand its scope, attracting a diverse mix of industry leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers and emerging talents.
“This summit is designed as a meeting point for ideas, influence and execution. It is not just about conversations, but about outcomes that strengthen the creative economy,” Iyanda added.
He noted that the timing of the summit is significant as the country’s creative sector continues to evolve.
“Nigeria’s creative sector has grown in visibility, but the structures that support it are still evolving. The QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit is part of the effort to bring clarity, direction and serious engagement to that growth,” he said.
The 2026 edition will feature keynote addresses, panel discussions and curated sessions addressing themes around innovation, growth, funding and the global positioning of Nigerian creative talent.
According to Iyanda, the long-term goal is to build a platform that remains relevant across generations.
“Our goal is to build a platform that remains useful over time, one that documents progress, connects stakeholders and contributes meaningfully to policy and practice,” he said.
Further details on speakers, partners and the full programme will be announced in the coming weeks.
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