‘Balancing AI and Human Intelligence necessary for marketing in Nigeria’s cultural landscape’ – Lere Awokoya, Jumia CMO
Lere Awokoya, a seasoned marketer with over 10 years of experience in brand management, has been appointed as the new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of Jumia Nigeria, the country’s foremost e-commerce platform. Awokoya previously held the position of Head of Brand at the marketplace.
In his new role, Awokoya aims to find a harmonious balance between artificial intelligence and human intelligence, with the aim of making Jumia Nigeria more customer-focused and cost-efficient.
“We want to put the customer at the centre of everything we do,” he said. “Understand them better and meet them where they are. We also want to make sure that we are doing so in an efficient way so as to continually improve on the value we create and offer our customers.”
Awokoya believes that Jumia Nigeria has a great opportunity to grow in the Nigerian market. “Nigeria is a very exciting market for e-commerce,” he said. “The numbers and insights show a great potential, and we are motivated to remain at the forefront of growing the industry. We want to continue to be the go-to online shopping destination for Nigerians by adding real value to their lives.”
To achieve this goal, Lere plans to use a data-driven approach to connect better with customers. “We will leverage the data available and our resources to inform our marketing investments as well as understand our customers better,” he said.
“Marketing in Nigeria’s unique cultural landscape requires balancing AI and tech tools with human intelligence. The digital technologies available today provide so many layers of intelligence which help marketers make much smarter decisions.
Campaigns can be better optimised through improved targeted and personalisation campaigns by analysing customer preferences and behaviour. In Nigeria, we have a unique cultural landscape that requires us to be even more aware of the need to balance technology with our touch,” he added.
Overall, Awokoya is excited about the opportunity to lead Jumia Nigeria’s marketing efforts. “Jumia Nigeria is a great company with a lot of potential,” he said. “I am looking forward to working with the team to make it even better.”
Awokoya holds a bachelor’s degree in Management and Strategy as well as a Master’s degree in Strategy and International Business from Aston University in Birmingham, UK. He has also previously worked with Betway and Moet Hennessy.
With Lere’s appointment, Jumia is poised to continue its growth trajectory and cement its position as the leading e-commerce platform in Nigeria and beyond.
