Feature: measure what matters
Choose five to seven KPIs for the whole business, favour leading indicators, and make every number a prompt for action rather than another line in a report.
The Outlier Brief · Weekly
Volume 1, Edition 7
You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure. But Most Businesses Measure the Wrong Things.
Monday, 21 September 2026 Lagos | Abuja
Business IntelligenceFinanceStrategyGovernanceAI Advisory
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Executive summary
What this edition covers.
Inflation eased for a fifth month to 15.39% as Nigeria’s Q2 trade surplus reached ₦12.6tn. This edition explains how to choose the few KPIs that predict performance, assign owners and targets, review them on one page, use AI-supported dashboards responsibly, and act on the September compliance deadlines.
Key takeaway
The problem is rarely too little data — it is too much of the wrong kind. Name the five numbers that truly decide your quarter, give each one an owner and a target, and review them on a single page every month.
Key topics covered
Inside Volume 1, Edition 7.
The KPI cycle
Define the few numbers that matter, measure them reliably, review them together on one page, act on what they reveal, and refine the set as the business changes.
One insight, one decision
The scarce skill is not measurement but selection: identify the five numbers that determine whether the business succeeds and give each one an owner and a target.
Business intelligence dashboard
Inflation at 15.39%, MPR at 26.5%, the naira near ₦1,330 official, Brent around $104, reserves at $54.6bn and a ₦12.6tn Q2 trade surplus.
AI for dashboards and KPI monitoring
Secure business-grade BI tools can assemble live views, flag movements and surface drivers — while leaders retain responsibility for judgement and action.
KPI toolkit and compliance watch
A seven-step KPI discipline checklist, the 22–23 September MPC meeting, Q3 close preparation, and October PAYE and VAT deadlines.
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