Experts at the MarkHack 4.0 have underscored the transformative potential of youth-driven innovation with a focus on creativity, data and technology to reaffirm Nigeria’s readiness to lead the future of digital marketing in Africa.
 
They said while 75 per cent of Nigeria’s population is made up of Gen Zs and millennials, marketing leaders, especially those in the C-suite, must understand and represent the generation as well as plan for the future.
  
Speaking with The Guardian, the convener of MarkHack and founder of Eko Innovation Centre, Victor Olugbenga Afolabi, said ‘MarkHack is now a corporate social responsibility (CSR) platform and a catalyst for innovation, and a crucible for the next generation of marketing leaders.
   
According to Afolabi, the motivation for MarkHack stemmed from the urgent need to localise marketing innovation in Nigeria.
  
“Our goal is to ensure that marketing technology resonates with our culture and solves local problems. We can’t continue depending on foreign platforms when 80–90 per cent of our marketing spending goes to non-domestic platforms. Just as we’ve exported our music and fashion, we must now own our marketing narrative,” he said.
  
The two-phase event, blended top-level conversations with actionable insights, bringing together over 150 startups, of which 10 finalists emerged to pitch groundbreaking MarTech solutions, competing for $20,000 in funding and incubation support.
  
With the theme “Experience Ignited: Fueling the Consumer’s Journey,” the gathering not only sparked transformative conversations, but also debuted the inaugural Nigeria MarTech Awards, an initiative celebrating brands and individuals harnessing technology to redefine consumer engagement.
  
Afolabi said from data-driven campaigns to AI-enhanced consumer engagement, the awards aimed to reward excellence and inspire broader adoption of innovation in the industry.
  
The Head of Marketing and Communications, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Oge Maduagwu, outlined key pillars reshaping African retail; omnichannel strategy, consumer behaviour, tech integration, and data-driven personalisation.
   
She emphasised the need for seamless, consistent experiences across digital and physical platforms, with the customer always at the centre.