At this year’s Zoholics 2025, we got a glimpse into how Zoho is shaping the future of customer engagement. Kehinde Ogundare, Zoho’s Country Manager for Nigeria, walked us through the company’s latest innovations in AI and communication tools — and honestly, it felt less like a tech talk and more like a roadmap for how businesses can thrive in today’s fast-moving world.
Turning Everyday Interactions into Real Value
We all know how easy it is to ignore social media comments, right? Kehinde gave a simple example: what if every comment could be turned into a task, assigned to the right person, and used to guide content or service decisions? That’s what Zoho’s AI makes possible — transforming casual feedback into structured action.
Instead of businesses manually combing through endless feedback, AI does the heavy lifting, helping teams respond quickly and keep customers engaged in real time. It’s a reminder that the little things — like a comment under a post — can actually hold big value when handled right.
Thinking Beyond Borders
One thing that stood out is how Zoho balances being global while staying grounded locally. Kehinde put it plainly:
Zoho isn’t restricted by geography. We build solutions that can work anywhere, for anyone.
For Nigerian businesses looking to expand, this is huge. It means the same tools that help a small team in Lagos can also support a company scaling into new markets across Africa and beyond.
Making Communication Effortless
If you’ve ever struggled to take notes during a meeting or wished a call could just write itself out, Zoho’s speech-to-text feature hits close to home. Beyond transcription, it can even analyze tone and context, giving businesses a clearer picture of what customers are really saying (and how they’re feeling).
It’s more than just convenience — it’s about building empathy into everyday business conversations.
Keeping Privacy Front and Center
Of course, no tech conversation is complete without the question of data security. Kehinde didn’t shy away from it:
At Zoho, we never sell personal data. Privacy is non-negotiable.
With everything moving to the cloud, it’s refreshing to hear a company doubling down on trust, not just innovation.
Why AI Matters Right Now
AI isn’t just hype — it’s changing how businesses work today. As Kehinde pointed out, it helps companies automate repetitive tasks while still creating room for deeper, more personal customer experiences.
That’s the balance: using technology not to replace people, but to free them up to focus on what really matters.
Looking Ahead
Zoho’s message was clear: this is only the beginning. The company is constantly pushing for solutions that help businesses, whether small or global, to grow smarter and faster in a digital-first world.
For us at SoTectonic, it was inspiring to see a company not just talking about AI, but showing how it can fit into the everyday realities of businesses here in Nigeria and beyond.
Would you try Zoho’s AI tools in your business?
