Nigeria’s digital drive needs product managers — Expert

Senior Product Manager at Fincra Technologies, Oladipupo Bolaji

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Senior Product Manager at Fincra Technologies, Oladipupo Bolaji, says Nigeria’s push towards digital transformation will continue to fall short unless organisations place Product Managers at the centre of their strategy.

Bolaji said many businesses are heavily investing in digital tools, engineering talent and automation but still struggle with slow delivery, unclear priorities and products that fail to meet customer needs. The issue, he noted, is not the technology itself but the absence of strong product leadership.

“A Product Manager sits where the customer, the business, the industry and the technology meet,” he said in a note to The PUNCH. “They ensure companies build products that solve real problems, support strategic goals and stay competitive.”

He explained that the role spans shaping vision with leadership, conducting customer discovery, crafting product strategy and guiding engineering teams to build meaningful solutions. Product Managers also support marketing teams during launch and help customer-facing teams understand and communicate the product after deployment.

“The role is connective by design. It brings clarity to teams, focus to decisions and direction to execution,” Bolaji said. “When a Product Manager is present, work feels aligned. When the role is absent, you feel the gap immediately.”

He also addressed a common misconception in many organisations that Product Managers and Project Managers perform the same function. While both roles are important, he stressed they are not interchangeable.

“A Product Manager is responsible for the problem to solve, the customer need and the long-term direction of the product. A Project Manager handles timelines, dependencies and delivery logistics,” he said. “One ensures the company is doing the right things; the other ensures the work is done well.”

With Nigerian businesses trying to scale, diversify and compete in a fast-moving digital economy, Bolaji said the need for product leadership has become more urgent. Customer expectations are rising, competition is intensifying, regulations are evolving and technology is advancing rapidly.

“Without product leadership, companies risk building features instead of products. They risk chasing ideas instead of pursuing outcomes. They risk mistaking activity for progress,” he cautioned

Justice has over three years experience spanning digital and print media. At The PUNCH, he currently covers the automobile sector with special interest in features and industry analysis.

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