Gaming in Africa is a big deal with millions of Africans unlocking their passion and experiencing the thrill of winning across various games online and offline everyday. It provides fans with an opportunity to get closer to their favourite sports and stars.
In an industry lacking substantial female representation at the C-suite level, a bigger deal worthy of attention is the inspiring story of Maha Otu, Country Director for BETWinner, a fast-rising gaming operator across Africa with major operations in Nigeria. Maha’s leadership and bold ambitions for BETWinner is working wonders with sport fans and industry stakeholders as the brand continues to increase market share, winning consumers’ trust with its inclusive approach to gaming.
WHO IS MAHA?
Maha Otu’s early days started with a unique twist. After securing a degree in Industrial Chemistry from Kwara State University, she veered off the path of Science and explored opportunities in the Nigerian Gaming scene, starting from the ground and working her way up to the top of the game. She embarked on a remarkable journey that took her from being a contact centre agent at one of Nigeria’s prominent betting companies to becoming a Team Lead at BETWinner within 3 years. She continued to climb the ladder through honesty and diligence, ultimately landing the prestigious role of Country Director just 8 months after joining BETWinner.
Maha understands gaming in Nigeria from the front-seat, with a perspective that is grounded in the realities of everyday gamers from the street level to the more urban locations/clusters. Her tenure at the contact centre, providing various resolutions to customer challenges across different channels exposed her to the critical challenges punters, casual gamers and first-timers encountered.
Maha recently attained an MBA from Nexford, further enhancing her skills and knowledge in business management. In her role as Country Director at BETWinner, Maha is combining boardroom acumen with street savviness to create a player-first gaming platform that aims to make winning a recurring experience for its users through improved technology, a commitment to ethical gaming and compliance to social friendly regulations/systems.
WHY IT MATTERS?
In an industry heavily dominated by males, Maha’s rise to the position of Country Director is no mere feat. It is rather a symbolic statement of value-meets-positioning and a testimony to the truth that any woman can, if they want to. As she strongly opines, there are opportunities in the industry available for all genders, but these openings must be met with preparedness and high value.
Female, young and hungry for excellence, it does not end here with Maha. There’s more to her than just a disruption in the gender balance in an industry widely considered a “boy’s club”.
The industry is witnessing exponential growth and expansion; trends and technology are changing with innovation, and thus, there is a need for BETWinner to keep up with the wave and lead the charge.
To always be ahead of the curve, Maha believes strongly in self-investment and continuous learning – two ingredients that were instrumental to her fast rise and continuous success. It is not enough to be young and female: there is also the need for passion for the job, ambition and a drive to go even further.
MOVING INTO THE FUTURE
Looking into the future, Maha is bullish about her strong vision for BETWinner. Within the next 5 years, she aims to make it the leading platform in the Nigerian gaming industry and not just a mere player in the game.
Maha also has a goal to foster empowerment with BETWinner giving fans a driver’s seat in sports and making the concept of winning a tangible reality for everyone. She’s inspiring a company-wide focus on improving mental awareness and balance for gamers and users of the BETWinner platform with positive, consumer friendly campaigns.
