Fresh hope for safety in residential, commercial buildings as Eaton restrategises

A five-year market strategy which Eaton Africa started in September last year has raised fresh hope for safety in both residential and commercial buildings in Nigeria as the company’s products which are already in the Nigerian market get more visibility and greater access by customers.

Eaton opened for business in Nigeria in 2014 with strong confidence in the economy of the country. “We are very proud to be in Nigeria; my interest in Nigeria is such that if anybody asks me why Nigeria, my response would be why not Nigeria”, said Sumaya Abdool Marketing Director – Africa for Eaton’s Electrical Sector, at a press briefing in Lagos recently.

A power management company, Eaton has approximately 95,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 175 countries. Its 2016 sales  alone was in excess of $19 billion. It provides energy-efficient solutions that help its customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power more efficiently, safely and sustainably.

The company’s vision is in improving the quality of life and the environment and this is premised on its belief that “we owe it to future generations to leave the world a better place than we found it”.

Sumaya sees Nigeria as an amazing country because, according to her, “every time I come here I see opportunities. Nigeria is very important for us because there are opportunities in the various segments of our business which include mining, oil and gas, real estate, IT channels, etc. Population is growing here and the country is urbanizing which means the country needs much more infrastructure”.

She informed that they have products for residential and commercial buildings, adding that their products ensure quality power. “Africa is developing massive infrastructure and we believe our products will be used, especially our UPS backup systems”, she said.

The company believes so much in its customers and trains them on how to use the products. The belief is that by doing that, they are increasing awareness and knowledge of the products.  “This year we are going to increase our training of our customers”, the marketing director assured.

“Because of the pivotal role we play, Eaton is committed to creating and maintaining powerful customer relationships built on a foundation of excellence. From the products we manufacture to our dedicated customer service and support, we know what’s important to customers”, she added.

Not daunted by the economic slowdown in Nigeria, Sumaya maintained that their five-year market strategy remained intact in spite of the slowdown. “We want to create opportunity that will help us grow within the slowdown. We offer safety products for residential and commercial buildings like  hotels. We have products for every household no matter the level”, she disclosed.

The company is not unmindful of competition in the market. It welcomes competition and, according to Charles Iyo, the Regional manager, competition is good because it brings efficiency to the market.

He noted that competition was tough but they would continue to push until they got to the front. “It is tough but welcome and we know that in order to remain in business, we have to ensure constant customer satisfaction”, he noted.

On her part, Oluwatosin Omodayo, the Products Manager, assured that, though their products were in many residential and commercial buildings as distribution boards and other electrical appliances, and that they were well known name, they would continue to try to get people to be familiar with their products.