Customer software and services firm Interactive Intelligence has called for the creation of a contact centre association in Nigeria and other African nations.

The call has come from Christopher Bell, Interactive Intelligence’s channel manager for Africa.

Bell says the setting up of such an association works to promote standards for the industry.

Associations of this nature have also been set up in countries such as Zambia and Zimbabwe, while plans are underway in Kenya, according to a press statement from Interactive Intelligence.

Interactive Intelligence says seminars it holds in Africa are also driving up interest among organisations, including government, in setting up call centres.

“We’ve seen tremendous growth in the industry in the wake of the seminars“, says Bell in a statement.

“If you keep the momentum going by stimulating dialogue, you make people aware. We exposed some of the participants for the first time to what a call centre is all about.”

Mbuela Luwawu, managing director of Odilum Technologies Limited, an Interactive Intelligence partner in Nigeria, says call centres are becoming more commonplace in the West African country.

Luwawu says: “Five years ago, no bank had a contact centre but since 2009, you can pick up your phone, call your contact centre and speak to your customer service officer directly. The adoption has been quite positive.”

Luwawu also says in a statement that Nigeria has potential to steal market share away from the call centre capital of the world, India.