2015: Computer Warehouse targets IT utility provider status in Africa

With offices across the map of the continent, the Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO) of the Computer Warehouse Group (CWG), Mr. Austin Okere has said they are growing fast as a pan-Africa Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) company.

This came as he disclosed that CWG is targeting to become the first among equals as the Information Technology (IT) utility provider on the continent in the next four years.

Briefing media recently at CWG office in Accra, Ghana, Mr. Okere who is the founder of CWG, one of Africa’s leading ICT conglomerates and a fast rising African Multinational Company (MNC), shared the company’s vision to become the number one IT Utility Provider in Africa by 2015.

Okere noted that with regional offices in Accra, Kampala, Lagos, Abuja and Port-Harcourt, CWG is positioned to attaining this status before the end of 2015.

Group head, Communications and Marketing at CWG, Mr. Chidi Okpala, explained in a press statement made available to ITRealms Online that the African market is a strategic path for the company on its match towards the 2015 goal.

“The growth of CWG and its success so far serves as a rallying point for other African companies and a model for re-writing some of the unpleasant stories that have for too long been associated with the African continent,” he said.

Introducing the new country manager for CWG Ghana, Mr. Tony Dadzie, to the business community, Mr. Okere was quoted as saying that Dadzie has over a decade experience in ICT industry handling different senior executive positions until taking up this assignment at CWG Ghana.

According to Okere, Dadzie is a fully fledged Ghanaian, with some maternal inclinations to Nigeria, and would bring to the table a wealth of experience as he takes over from Mr. Femi Ibine, who will now head the Group’s Software business.

Okere also explained that CWG has a plan in the short term, to see Ghanaians play an integral role in the company as owners of the company, hence its plan to soon list CWG Ghana on the Ghana Stock Exchange market.

“We are really planning to do this in the next three to five years as part of our broad strategy to serve the African continent,” he said.

CWG, Okere pointed out, is currently a US$120m (about N18.6 billion) company in turnover that plans to have a physical presence in 10 African countries by the year 2015.

Further, he said, the company’s renewed vision to become the number one IT utility provider on the continent by the year 2015, will CWG to build a platform that will to deliver world class business solutions around Cloud computing which will in turn help respond to global trends and the current needs of customers.

On the strengths of African companies and the perception being created right now about what should actually determine who global companies are, Okere decried the fact that African companies that have done very well overtime, even internationally are still looked down at as local companies, when in actual sense should be looked at as being global.

“What the African continent needs is the creation of an enabling environment and a level playing field for entrepreneurs to transform their dreams to build big companies’.

CWG, he said, is determined against all odds to become an internationally recognised company living strictly by strict corporate governance that would make Africa proud.

“In doing so we are partnering with higher institutions to develop and grow skills that would drive the growth of technology in Africa,” he said.

Remmy Nweke
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