The success of businesses in Nigeria across all the sectors has been strongly linked to adoption of Internet of Things (IoT). Delivering a keynote address in Lagos last week at NigeriaCom, Tony Smallwood, Executive Head of IoT at Vodacom, said IoT has the potential to transform business operations and maximise efficiency across all sectors.

Smallwood heads Vodacom's IoT solutions unit which currently supports wireless payment devices and e-readers, energy usage and smart metering, among other areas of application.

He says there is increased interest in adoption and growth in the number of connected 'things' across Africa, with IoT driving digital transformation and helping businesses to remain relevant in today's digital world.

"Overall, 63% of adopters say they have seen significant return on investment from adopting IoT," he said. "We now have an ecosystem that specialises in specific aspects of IoT integration, who have deep knowledge in their respective industries. In collaboration with our partners we are able to easily integrate an entire value chain for our customers, small or big."

According to Smallwood by 2020, more than seven billion people and businesses, and over 30 billion devices, will be connected to the internet. He added that the question is no longer about the adoption of IoT, but its application to drive the success of businesses.

"From consumer goods, to finance, energy and utilities, manufacturing, agriculture and health, there is no industry that has not been impacted by the potential of the Internet of Things. IoT solutions securely provide a view of critical systems, keeping businesses in control and reducing costs across all operations. Linking almost any type of remote machine or devices to critical information systems and collating real-time data can help to increase visibility throughout the supply chain," he added.