Data Is the New Oil: Business Intelligence in the Global Economy - Intelligence Is the New Power is a research-driven and practical guide to understanding how organizations can transform data into informed decisions, measurable performance, sustainable growth, and long-term competitive advantage.

In a world where businesses, governments, and institutions generate unprecedented amounts of information, simply possessing data is no longer enough. The critical challenge is converting that information into intelligence-and converting intelligence into responsible, strategic action.

Drawing on doctoral research conducted across Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia, Dr. S. Otis Pratt examines Business Intelligence within diverse economic, technological, regulatory, and institutional environments. The study incorporates evidence from 300 executives, managers, and supervisors, primarily across the technology, financial services, and retail sectors.

One of the book's most important findings challenges a common assumption: adopting Business Intelligence technology does not automatically produce greater profitability. The research demonstrates that technology is an enabling capability, but its value depends on leadership, organizational readiness, data quality, governance, workforce competence, strategic alignment, infrastructure, and external market conditions.

Rather than presenting Business Intelligence as merely an IT function, the book reframes it as a strategic leadership capability. Readers learn how organizations can connect analytical investments to practical outcomes such as revenue growth, cost reduction, customer retention, risk management, operational efficiency, improved decision-making, and sustainable competitive advantage.