Omatek in Fresh Expansion Drive
Omatek Computers is gearing up to expand its local production of PC casings and speakers to meet up with growing demand for its products even as it gets the commendation of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). The company is fine-tuning agreements with its foreign partners to achieve this, it announced this in its Ojota, Lagos factory at the weekend. Omatek has an on-going contract to supply 400 PCs to the Lagos State government as part of the state's initiatives to promote IT knowledge in its ministries and educational institutions. Its indigenously manufactured PCs are part of the hardware facilities at the just commissioned Lagos Digital Village- a public/private sector project between Lagos State and Microsoft.
Also in Lagos at the weekend, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Ernest Ndukwe described Omatek as one of the strong statements made at Telecom Africa 2004 in Cairo that Nigeria has a thriving IT industry. Ndukwe told a select media audience while counting Nigeria's gain at the event organised by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) that Omatek proved to be a practical _expression that Nigeria has what it takes to compete with the rest of world. "The Nigerian Pavilion was one of the few selected by the ITU to visit officially during the event affirming the high level of interest the international community has in Nigeria. In fact, this was demonstrated by the purchase of Omatek computer by the ITU's secretary general," said a cheerful Ndukwe.
Omatek enjoyed the formal endorsement of the ITU, which Secretary General Yoshio Utsumi purchased an Omatek PC brand for use at the Geneva headquarters of the world umbrella body for telecommunications. Omatek was part of the country's delegation that exhibited inside the Nigerian pavilion to showcase its products ranging from PCs, notebooks, speakers and cases. The Nigerian delegation was led by the Minister of Communications Chief Cornelius Adebayo and the NCC's Vice Executive Chairman Ernest Ndukwe. Several other Nigerian companies also exhibited to make the Nigerian Pavilion one of the most vibrant exhibition areas at the Cairo event.
"I am happy that such high quality product output is in Africa and I want to commend the boldness displayed by Omatek to pioneer such a venture in Africa," Utsumi had told the world at Cairo to underpin the first time that Nigerian would have a pavilion to showcase its indigenous enterprises.
Omatek pioneered in the African region the local assembly of cases and speakers at its factory in Lagos and has remained a leading player in the hardware sub-sector. The expansion plans for its Ojota factory are geared to help address the increasing demand as it prospects for market in other parts of the continent. Last year, it exhibited at Ghana AITEC exhibition and conference and it was an official partner of eNigeria 2004 organised by NITDA to provide a technology marketplace for the West African sub-region.
"We have to match the demand for our products and must move ahead of the market," said Florence Seriki, chief executive officer of Omatek adding "Cairo has helped us to tell the world that we are not in any way inferior to other international brands and that the Nigerian market is robust enough to accommodate intense competition."
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