Broadcasting
AI and ‘phygital’ experiences re-set to reshape the customer journey in 2024
By Andrew Egan, Africa Regional Sales Director at Infobip
With brands recognising the power of conversations, AI-driven solutions, and phygital experiences, consumers can anticipate more personalised, seamless, and satisfying engagements with businesses this year. As technological innovations continue to shape the business landscape, 2024 is poised to be a transformative year for customer experience. However, businesses must keep an eye on the emerging trends shaping the landscape as they realign their strategies to prioritise customer satisfaction.
Balancing customer experience trends against business process optimisation
Increasingly, the emphasis on Customer Experience (CX) is prompting organisations to adopt creative ways to use customers to start, and sometimes complete, the processing journey against an item of work. As businesses look to grow customer acquisition or reduce processing costs, it is becoming evident that Generative AI and Interactive AI are critical tools for improving cost-of-service ratios or Life Time Value: Customer Acquisition Costs (LTV: CAC) ratios for improved x-selling and upselling outcomes. In line with this, identifying work types for automation is key to quantifying how much effort organisations can remove from their support centres and what Capex or Opex costs can be optimised. Additionally, businesses must understand their customers’ behaviour and their choice of when, how, and if to engage with a brand.
CX is not merely about providing a channel to customers or a five-star rating at the end of a call. It is about ensuring that customers return to the brand, measuring and appreciating customer behaviour across your digital ecosystem, and knowing when to support them or when to sell to them. In many environments, improving business processes with tools such as Generative AI or Interactive AI results in a downstream impact of improved CX. Hence, organisations should look at the business challenge to be solved before attempting to resolve the issue of CX in isolation.
End-to-end conversational journeys with businesses and brands
As consumers seek an enhanced customer experience, they will increasingly demand two-way conversational interactions with a business or brand through the same channels and chat apps they use with their families or friends. They will also desire a seamless experience rather than switching between devices and channels.
Until now, brands have been reimagining this journey through a conversational lens, where much of the user journey is directed through a single chat app or digital channel like WhatsApp. The focus now shifts from merely adopting these channels to perfecting the end-to-end conversational experience.
Thus, we can expect to see the emergence of truly end-to-end platforms, where customers can click through an advert on Instagram, educate themselves about a product, click to purchase, pay, receive delivery notifications, and complete a satisfaction survey within a single conversational thread on WhatsApp.
META, with WhatsApp, is leading this revolution, with new features such as Flows and Payments facilitating users to transition smoothly from viewing an Instagram ad to making a purchase, all within the platform. Leading brands like Google and Apple are also making waves in this space, and more platforms are likely to follow.
The move from generative AI to interactive AI
Generative AI, or Gen-AI, has made remarkable progress, especially in customer support. This technology has been instrumental in auto-generating content for messages and emails and AI-driven bots that can handle basic queries.
However, the future lies in interactive AI, where, according to British AI researcher and entrepreneur Mustafa Suleyman, “bots that can carry out tasks you set for them by calling on other software and other people to get stuff done.” In line with this, analysts predict the emergence of a federation of different bots and AI algorithms being used to trigger different actions across the customer journey.
These advanced tools will be central to marketing and sales automation, answering product-related questions, scheduling deliveries, and managing payments. Integrations will span from generating campaign content to providing AI-driven chatbot interactions, ensuring fluid, human-like conversations with the customers, all within a customer’s favourite channel.
The rise of the super app
The ‘super app’ concept has gained significant attention in recent years, with platforms such as WhatsApp, WeChat, and various others. These platforms, boasting billions of subscribers, present a golden opportunity for brands to integrate and offer their products and services. Tech billionaire Elon Musk described WeChat as “Twitter, plus PayPal, plus a whole bunch of other things, and all rolled into one with actually a great interface.”
Telegram appears to be moving towards this model, announcing in September last year that “developers can (now) use JavaScript to create infinitely flexible interfaces that can be launched right inside Telegram — and can completely replace any website.”
Envisioned as multi-purpose hubs, these apps will evolve into platforms where users can seamlessly interact with multiple brands.
The rebirth of virtual reality and augmented reality
However, things are also heating up in the virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) space. META recently launched its new generation of Ray-Ban META smart glasses. Among other updated features, these will integrate META’s AI-powered, advanced conversational assistant. By saying “Hey META,” users can engage with META AI to spark creativity, get information, and control features. Apple has also unveiled its much-anticipated Vision Pro headset, a mixed-reality device capable of both VR and AR experiences.
These products signify a step change in the world of AR and VR, which has, until now, been seen by many as somewhat gimmicky. It is expected that VR and AR will transition from merely PR stunts to real-world use cases. Using these tools, businesses and brands can create exceptional, awe-inspiring experiences on a scale that has never been possible in the physical realm.
Phygital experiences
Against this backdrop, it is anticipated that further convergence of the physical and digital realms will occur, with businesses and brands crafting captivating ‘phygital’ experiences tailored to customer preferences in real-time. Retailers will further weave technology into their brick-and-mortar stores, leveraging data to personalise what customers hear, smell, and see. Simultaneously, e-commerce platforms will explore the potential of virtual and augmented reality, pioneering a new age of digital retail.
Numerous examples already demonstrate this concept in action, like retail brand Marks & Spencer’s AR shopping app, which allows customers to walk around a store with the app using an AR filter to direct them to the location of specific items. As this technology develops, it will help customers experience products as if they were already in their possession, allowing them to make informed decisions about what they buy.
More to come
This year promises to be an exciting year for customer experience. With brands recognising the power of conversational interfaces, AI-driven solutions, and phygital experiences, consumers can anticipate more tailored, seamless, and delightful interactions.
Afro-pop star Joeboy takes centre stage this week as he features on the Easter edition of African Voices, the Globacom-sponsored magazine programme on CNN.
In this episode, the Nigeria-born singer sits down with show anchor, Larry Madowo, in Lagos, where he shares the story of his journey from a young university student with big dreams to becoming one of Afrobeats’ most recognised voices.
Long before global attention, Joeboy, born Joseph Akinwale Akinfenwa-Donus, started out experimenting with music and sharing covers online. His 2017 cover of Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You” marked a turning point, helping him transition fully into singing and setting the stage for what was to come.
That moment soon opened new doors, including a connection with Mr. Eazi, who brought him into the emPawa Africa talent programme. This provided support and exposure for his music to reach a wider audience, laying the foundation for his professional career. The alliance also birth “Fààjí,” which featured Mr. Eazi in 2018, after which he was signed to Warner Music Africa.
Under this partnership, Joeboy released his hit single “Baby” in 2019, followed by “Beginning,” which has 23 million views on YouTube. He also released “Love & Light” the same year and featured Mayorkun in the tracks “Don’t Call Me” and “All for You”
Since then, the 29-year-old has gone on to release two albums, Somewhere Between Beauty & Magic in February 2021 and Body & Soul in 2023, while earning recognition across the continent, including awards for his contributions to African pop music. He won Best Artist in African Pop at the 2019 All Africa Music Awards and Best Pop at the 2020 Soundcity MVP Awards Festival.
The programme will air on Saturday at 7.30 a.m., with several repeat broadcasts scheduled across the weekend and into the following week. 11 a.m. on Saturday; on Sunday at 3.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. This continues on Monday at 3 a.m. and 5.45 p.m, and on Tuesday at 5.45 p.m. The schedule will be repeated next week until 3 a.m. on Monday.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has dismissed an appeal filed by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), seeking to overturn a Federal High Court judgement that restrained it from imposing fines on radio and television stations across the country.
NBC
Delivering the lead judgement, Justice Oyebiola Oyewumi, on behalf of a three-member panel, upheld the earlier ruling and set aside the fines imposed by the NBC on 45 broadcast stations on March 1, 2019, for alleged breaches of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
The panel was presided over by Justice Abba Mohammed, with Justice Donatus Okorowo as the third member.
According to a statement issued by Idowu Adewale, Communications Officer of Media Rights Agenda (MRA), the unanimous decision of the Court of Appeal stemmed from a suit filed by the non-governmental organisation in November 2021, challenging the NBC’s powers to impose fines on broadcasters.
The Federal High Court, in its judgement delivered on May 10, 2023, by Justice James Omotosho, ruled in favour of MRA after the NBC failed to defend the suit.
The court held that fines are sanctions imposed on persons found guilty of criminal offences and, under Nigerian law, only courts of law have the authority to impose such penalties.
Setting aside the fines of ₦500,000 each imposed on the affected stations, Justice Omotosho stated that the NBC “is neither a court nor a judicial tribunal to make pronouncements on the guilt of broadcast stations, notwithstanding what the NBC Code says.”
He added that the Commission’s actions violated the Constitution.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, the NBC filed a motion in July 2023, urging the same court to set aside the judgement on the grounds that it lacked jurisdiction and had reached its decision without considering relevant facts.
However, in November 2023, Justice Omotosho dismissed the application, describing it as futile and an afterthought, noting that available evidence showed the Commission had been duly served but failed to appear in court to defend the case.
The NBC subsequently approached the Court of Appeal in July 2024, seeking to overturn the judgement.
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At the hearing on February 4, 2026, Mr Victor Ogude (SAN), leading Mr Kehinde Wilkey for the NBC, adopted his brief of argument and made additional submissions.
Counsel to MRA, Ezenwa Anumnu, also adopted his brief and responded accordingly.
In its ruling, the appellate court agreed with MRA’s position that the NBC, having failed to contest the suit at the Federal High Court, could not raise fresh challenges at the appellate level.
Justice Oyewumi held that the appeal lacked merit and accordingly dismissed it.
With this decision, MRA has secured victory in the first of two appeals involving the NBC over separate Federal High Court judgements barring the Commission from imposing fines on broadcast stations.
The second appeal, filed by the NBC against a similar judgement delivered on January 17, 2024 by Justice Rita Ofili-Ajumogobia of the Federal High Court, Abuja, is still pending. The Court of Appeal heard arguments in that matter on March 25, 2026 and has reserved judgement.
In that case, the NBC is challenging a ruling arising from a suit filed by MRA after the Commission imposed fines of ₦5 million each on a television station and three pay-TV platforms in 2022 for allegedly undermining national security through the broadcast of documentaries on banditry in Nigeria.
Dr.Shaibu Husseini, the Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), has called for stronger distribution frameworks within Nigeria’s film industry to ensure that locally produced content achieves global visibility.
He urged film festivals across the country to evolve beyond networking platforms into active marketplaces where filmmakers could secure distribution deals. He stressed that festivals must attract distributors, exhibitors, streaming platforms, and marketers to create tangible opportunities for filmmakers.
Husseini made this call while delivering the keynote address at the opening ceremony of the 2026 edition of the Coal City Film Festival held in Enugu.
“Film festivals must become gateways to distribution where filmmakers leave not just with applause, but with real opportunities,” he said.
Husseini expressed personal delight at hosting the event in Enugu, his birth state, noting the city’s rich cultural heritage and longstanding contribution to Nigeria’s creative landscape.
He commended the festival organisers, particularly the Festival Director, Uche Agbo, for their resilience and commitment in sustaining the
initiative. According to him, the Coal City Film Festival has grown into a significant cultural platform and a must-attend cinematic event in South East Nigeria.
Speaking on the festival’s theme, “Local Stories, Global Screens,” Husseini emphasised the importance of authenticity in storytelling. He noted that films rooted in local realities, languages, and cultural truth often resonate more strongly with global audiences.
He cited notable Nigerian productions such as King of Boys by Kemi Adetiba, The Wedding Party by Mo Abudu, Anikulapo by Kunle Afolayan,
“Black Book” by Editi Effiong, and “Lionheart” by Genevieve Nnaji as examples of culturally grounded stories that have gained international recognition on platforms such as Netflix and at global film festivals.
While acknowledging the growth in film production across Nigeria, the NFVCB boss identified distribution as a major bottleneck in the industry. He observed that many high-quality films struggle to reach audiences both locally and internationally due to limited distribution channels.
Reaffirming the Board’s commitment to industry development, Husseini stated that the NFVCB has continued to reposition itself as a partner in progress by engaging stakeholders, improving classification processes, and promoting a balance between creative freedom and social responsibility.
However, he raised concerns over increasing non-compliance with regulatory requirements, noting that some filmmakers bypass the Board by releasing unclassified films or operating without proper licensing.
He said all films and video works must be submitted to the NFVCB for classification and registration before being released on any platform, including digital platforms such as YouTube.
“This is a legal obligation, and the Board will not hesitate to take decisive action against defaulters,” he warned, adding that regulation is essential for protecting the industry, audiences, and national values.
Looking ahead, Husseini assured stakeholders of the Board’s continued collaboration with filmmakers and festival organisers to build a structured, sustainable, and globally competitive Nigerian film industry.
He concluded by commending the organisers of the Coal City Film Festival for their vision and contribution to Nigeria’s cultural economy, urging filmmakers to continue telling authentic stories that can resonate across global screens.
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