Omatek plans multi-billion factory in Nigeria

Leading computer manufacturer in the country, Omatek Ventures plc, has advanced plans to invest billions of naira on a new factory.

The Managing Director and chief executive officer, Omatek Ventures Plc, Mrs. Florence Seriki, made this disclosure recently in a chat with ITRealms Online, saying that it’s aimed at consolidating on the company’s achievements and its extensive presence in Nigeria and West Africa sub-region.

She noted that the company, which turned 25 last December, has continued to be the only quoted computer manufacturing company on the Nigeria Stock Exchange.

“It has led the increasingly competitive Nigerian ICT market as the only company in East, West and Central Africa that produces computers and casings from completely knocked down (CKD) components sourced from the highest grades of manufacturers to give all Omatek computers the requisite world-class standards comparable to any other foreign brand,” she said.

Mrs. Seriki noted that Omatek exited the SMEIS scheme through a Private Placement undertaken by former Afribank Capital which eventually culminated in the company being listed as the first computer manufacturing company on the Nigerian Stock Exchange in July 2008.

“Since then, Omatek factory has come up with various initiatives to drive and sustain the Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) requirement of the first class manufacturers of raw materials,” she said, adding that one of such initiatives was the Omatek e-Xpress consumer scheme designed to assist Nigerians own computers through a convenient payment plan which spans between 12 and 24 months. 

Further, she said that the new factory which takes-off immediately would include the new solar panel and the new LED bulbs and lighting factories.

“Our 24 hour solar-inverter-battery hybrid solution is a great innovation and is pioneered by Omatek and the first of its kind in Africa,” she declared.

This by itself, she said is a major income revenue to provide 24 hour light and power to homes, offices, schools, hospitals and hotels among others.

Mrs. Seriki reaffirmed this in Lagos at the weekend, proclaiming the new phase of growth for the company.

“It will interest you to know that Lighting and Power Solutions were provided via this solution in conjunction with special Omatek LED bulbs.  These Bulbs last three to five years without maintenance and our regular 42W Flourescent bulbs had been reduced to 9W for 2ft and 13W for 4ft bulbs; thus reducing consumption by over 85 per cent,” she explained.

As said by the Omatek boss, the management has advanced strategies to tidy up financials with funding instruments from both offshore and local partners.

Omatek, she said, recorded over a billion naira turnover last year from not just its existing computer products, but also from its newly innovating products such as the 24 hour Solar-Inverter-battery Hybrid Solutions sold to schools, offices and homes.

She therefore, said Omatek was re-kitting its financial base to consolidate and expand its portfolio of services available through its Consumer Scheme Finance and Omatek Resource Centres.

ITRealms Online recalled that since inception, Omatek has grown to become one of the continent’s leading brands in addition to opening a factory in Ghana over years ago as part the company’s pan-African vision.

Additionally, Omatek has won global accolade and got the endorsement of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) about four years ago as a driver of technological change in Africa and from software giant Microsoft, it got recognised as the No.1 PC manufacturer in the West and Central Africa (WECA) region.

Equally, Omatek’s strong performance record in nation’s public sector was described  about six years ago by then President Olusegun Obasanjo as a product of “vision and resilience,” during the official launch of its brand in Nigeria by the former president in Aso Villa.

Further, Obasanjo described Omatek as a testimony that government’s policy of having a private sector-led economy was working, as such, Omatek has created a benchmark for other enterprises.

Remmy Nweke

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

MTN ends N1bn reward promo in style, urges data SIM registration

Finally, leading mobile operators in Africa has rested its N1 billion reward promo in Lagos in a grand style, with presentation of prizes to winners and 100 participating subscribers at the event.

Welcoming guest including some of the winners at the event, the General Manager, Consumer Marketing at MTN Nigeria, Mr. Kola Oyayemi, said that this kind of promo can only come from MTN.

He noted that based on the can do spirit of MTN management and staff that the reward promo was a success and was not surprised that after MTN began its promo, other operators in the industry soon realize their ability to run a similar promo, even though it may not be classified as successful as that of MTN.

He also said that the reward promo was to appreciate MTN subscribers for their loyalty in a decade of service delivery for the Nigerian people, which would continue to get better in the coming years.

He affirmed that a total number of 100 subscribers won N10,000,000 each with some of them present at the occasion and where later given their cheques by dignitaries including the Cash Madam, Mrs. Iyabo Lawani among others.

Meanwhile, MTN Nigeria, has urged its subscribers to register newly-purchased Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs), particularly those in data-enabled devices.

The Corporate Services Executive, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Wale Goodluck made this call at the weekend, noting that though the vast majority of MTN subscribers have since complied with the directive to register their SIMs, it is important for those buying new SIMs to also register them.

“We would like to again remind our subscribers that the registration directive covers all SIMs, from those in mobile phones to those inserted in Fastlink internet dongles, iPads, laptops, Point of Sale terminals (POS), Automatic Teller Machines (ATM) as well as those embedded in car-tracking devices, among others.”

According to him, all unregistered SIMs will be disconnected at a set time to be communicated by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

Mr. Goodluck therefore called on MTN subscribers to register their SIMs including those in data-enabled devices at any MTN registration point nearest to them.

“We thank our customers who have already registered their SIMs and assure them that we will continue to strive to meet and exceed their expectations,” he said.

In a related development, the 5th IT Edge West Africa Convergence Forum, scheduled for next month, March has received the support of MTN Nigeria.

The event is organized by the ITEdge Intelligence Unit (ITE-IU), owned by Know-How Media publishers of IT Edge News.Com; the annual interactive Forum focuses on Convergence Trends in West Africa in conjunction with regulatory authorities and policy makers from across West Africa.

Disclosing this, the head of ITE-IU) and editor of IT Edge News.Com, Mr. Segun Oruame, said that the forum holds on March 30, in Lagos at the instance of the industry’s stakeholders in Nigeria.

“Mobile telecommunication company, MTN Nigeria with close to 40 million subscribers, is one of the sponsors of Forum 2012,” he revealed.

Remmy Nweke
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D