Moses: We Had to Build for Uncertainty and Still Make It Scalable

When organisations across Nigeria were shrinking their ambitions due to COVID-19, one consultancy did the opposite. CEES Assist Resources digitised its operations, doubled down on delivery, and recorded a good return in revenue while most businesses were in retreat.

At the centre of this quiet success was Victor U Moses, a digital strategist whose leadership not only helped the company survive the crisis but redefined how it worked and how it served. His model now called the CEES Digital Continuity Framework has shaped both internal and public-sector transformation efforts. Oluchi Chibuzor spoke to Victor about how he led the shift, why infrastructure means nothing without adoption, and what other leaders can learn from building under pressure.

You led CEES Assist’s transformation during one of the most unpredictable times in recent history. What gave you the confidence to push ahead when others were freezing operations?

To be honest, we had no choice but to act. The old way of working simply could not continue not in a pandemic, not with the uncertainty. But I was not just thinking about continuity. I saw it as a moment to rebuild. We had already scoped a digital roadmap before COVID. But like many organisations, it was sitting on paper. What changed was the urgency. I knew if we implemented it correctly, we would not just survive we would come out stronger.

What were the first things you did? Where do you begin a transformation like this?

We started with what was already breaking: internal processes. Manual bidding cycles. Paper-based operations. Poor visibility across teams. These were pain points long before the pandemic. We used that moment to act.

I led a review of all core functions from project tracking to document workflows to communications. We digitised where it made sense, automated repetitive tasks, and designed systems that could scale without needing more people. But we did not just roll out tech. We trained everyone, gave them support, and redesigned workflows around real people, not just software logic.

And what changed? What did that transformation achieve, beyond survival?

It changed the company’s trajectory. We cut our bid-to-contract cycle by over 60%, reduced internal processing time by half, and handled more client work with less stress. Reporting became transparent and replicable. During that same period, we secured over ₦50 million in revenue and acquired our first permanent office. But the real success was how our people adapted. They trusted the systems because they had a hand in shaping them.

Was there any resistance? It is one thing to have the vision. But how do you bring people along?

There is always hesitation. Change threatens comfort. But I made the process collaborative. We did not impose systems, we co-designed them. And we showed early wins. We also made sure the tools fit the realities, not just what was ideal. In low-bandwidth moments, we had offline options. For staff who struggled with unfamiliar tools, we created simplified interfaces and printed guides. The strategy was clear: meet people where they are, and grow together.

CEES Assist grew. But your work also touched public institutions. What was your role there?

As our internal transformation gained visibility, I was invited to support several government agencies and donor-backed programmes. These involved digital readiness assessments, infrastructure design, and workflow automation across ministries, non-profits, and technical teams. My role was often strategic: helping teams align systems with Nigeria’s National Digital Economy Policy 2020, donor compliance standards, and real-world service delivery needs. These were high-stakes environments, where resilience mattered as much as innovation.

Looking back, what made your approach different? What can other leaders learn?

We focused less on tech, and more on transformation. That means thinking system-wide: people, process, tech, and policy moving together. It means building for stability, not just speed. And it means acting early, starting small, and staying close to the people who use the systems. The best technology means little if people do not believe in it.

If there is one thing you want to do next, what is it?

I want to help other organisations especially across emerging economies build systems that work even under stress. Systems that grow with their people, not apart from them. Systems that understand policy, scale, and context. What we built at CEES Assist is not a product. It is a model of continuity, designed for change. And I believe that model can work anywhere where leaders are ready to act and where people are given the right tools and the respect to adapt. What I am proving is that real transformation does not start with software. It starts with structure, empathy, and strategic design. We did not just digitise a business but created a continuity framework that now shapes how governments and institutions across sectors think about service, resilience, and scale.