http://www.omatekcomputers.com/

Omatek Computers Plc is the first factory to locally assemble computer cases, speakers, keyboards and mouse in Africa . The birth of this factory came after the initial launch of the locally assembled Omatek Computers in 1993 in Lagos by Omatek Ventures Limited. In November 2005, Omatek Computers beat 42 other countries to win the “Microsoft Best System Builder Award for West, East and Central Africa “. Omatek is a conglomerate of four companies. We also have a factory in Ghana .
Background
I read chemical engineering at the University of Ife now Obafemi Awolowo.
Starting out
While I was doing my national youth service in the 1980s, I discovered in the office I worked that the computers on the directors’ desks were often covered up. Once the secretary was not around, the boss could not work on the computer. So I told my boss, “Sir, I used a personal computer to do my project, can I teach you how to use the computer?” My boss asked if I really could and I said yes. So, I taught my boss. He told another director, who told another director. Some of them then told their friends in other organisations that there was a corps member that could train them on the use of computer. That was how I started training executives on the use of the computer, then staffs of banks, oil companies etc.
Before I finished as a youth corps member, I opened an office in Lagos Island where I employed people. I trained them to train other people. I realised many companies did not have enough computers. I saw an opportunity so I started initially by buying foreign brands and selling to my customers.
Up to 1992, key computer buyers in Nigeria were banks and oil and gas sector. They were buying only finished products. The oil and gas companies were buying only from their offshore companies. Therefore, there was no opportunity for Nigerians to sell to them. I started a joint venture with two Nigerians. Thus, we got concessions for oil companies to do business with us but we were required to have off-shore affiliates.
Manufacturing
Some of our affiliates would couple the computers up a little bit and then ship them down here. We would then complete the coupling. When I discovered that some big names in the computer industry were going to Asia to set up factories there, I decided to bring the factory to Nigeria , to Africa .
I sourced funding from the Small and Medium Enterprises Equity Investment Schemes (SMEEIS) funds. By 2003, we graduated to a completely knocked down factory with funding from two banks. We sourced the SMEEIS funding because we wanted to stand with the big companies such as Dell, HP in terms of quality. Our raw materials are sourced from the best manufacturers in Asia . So, we need factories here for moulding, design, nails, screws etc to promote local content.

Challenges
Every raw material in computer production is produced by different companies. The first and second factories of Omatek are the case and speaker factories while the third and fourth factories are the PC and notebook factories. The challenge is that there are different factories for different components. These factories are graded in low level, middle level and high class level manufacturers.
The pursuit of our vision drove us to high class level of manufacturers. Thus, we had to start buying in very large quantities. Huge funding was therefore required. It is to sustain the quality for which Omatek is known that we went to the Nigerian Stock Exchange and raised funds.
Future prospects
We want to become the clear leader in the African ICT Industry by the year 2010.
Advice
When we started there were no SME funding schemes. We were doing quality delivery per order. We ploughed back the profit so the business grew and this created a relationship with our bankers. It was because of this trust that we could approach banks for funding and thus became recipients of the SMEEIS funds from two banks. For SMEs to get the attention of big companies, the following are pertinent: quality of presentation, marketing tactics, hard work, funding and aggressive sales.
Even though I was already making a lot of money selling foreign brands of computers, I still took up the challenge of moving on. I did not have a Godfather or Godmother but I had God the father. Omatek was able to get quoted and listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange because the books were in order.
Family life
In spite of my busy schedule, I assist my children with their homework and cook my husband’s meals. A woman that wants to go to the next level must balance family life and business. Even if a woman is busy, the man married a wife and she is still the mother of her children. The home must never be sacrificed on the platter of success.

Author of this article: OLUYINKA ALAWODE
Show Other Articles Of This Author

Omatek lights up business sector with power factory
Written by Prince Osuagwu
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
There is no place where the down turn of power sector is taking its toll more than the business sector.From telecom operators, industrialists, manufacturers and SMEs, down to the roadside artisans, electricity is the power of their economy and lack of it means a dwindling fortune accompanied by high over head cost which also contributes in jerking up cost of goods and services.


Minister of State for Information and Communications, Alhaji Ibrahim Dasuki Nakande and the MD of Omatek Ventures Plc, Mrs. Florence Seriki at the commissioning of Omatek Power Factory in Lagos recently.The unsteady power supply in Nigeria which more or less is almost becoming a tradition, has crippled so many businesses damaged so many work tools and equipments that cost fortunes and leave their owners in misery.

But there now seems to be a relief in sight. One of Nigeria’s leading computer companies, Omatek Ventures Plc, which itself is still counting the losses of unsteady power supply in its aggregate economy, has recently built a power factory, stocked with new power back up products.

The company said it was doing this, having the bitter experience of constant power outages, and has attracted the partnership of a strong and reputable Chinese UPS/Power back up manufacturers, Kelong, to deal with the persistent power outages and power surge which has become a nightmare to most businesses, industries and households in Nigeria.

This arm of business, according to the company would be overseen by the Omatek Engineering Services Limited, a new subsidiary of Omatek Ventures Plc, which was recently commissioned to produce a range of UPS, inverters and back up systems that can be used in homes, offices, banks, hospitals, hotels, industries and factories.

With the support of Kelong, said to be among the world’s biggest UPS/Power back up manufacturers, Omatek Engineering Services Limited is expected to offer unbeatable services to its clientele.
Yet, company sources told Hi-Tech that a special help desk will be created at the customer’s site where resource engineers will be available to offer back up service.

Chairman of Omatek Engineering services, Prof. Ayo Ogunye, also said that apart from creating more job opportunities, the Omatek/Kelong Power initiative will bring about technology transfer, as some technical officers from Kelong will be on hand to provide technical support services.

For him, the partnership was coming at the right time and would help to set Nigeria on the threshold of sustainable economic growth, as it will improve the nation’s productive capacity.

In her remarks at the commissioning of the factory, Managing Director, Omatek Ventures Plc. Mrs. Florence Seriki, noted that the new power back up systems were effective and efficient and would help to solve the various power challenges faced by banks, manufacturers, telecommunications companies and factories.

She said it is now possible to monitor the UPS/battery levels in remote sites from the head office through the central monitor.

“Omatek UPS, inverter and power back ups, have low maintenance costs and will protect computers, electrical/electronic equipment and gadgets, against power surge, loss of data, system breakdown occasioned by the poor power situation in the country.

“The Omatek Power Systems come in various sizes and ranges to address the needs of the various sectors of the economy such as telecommunications, banking, manufacturing and personal home use.
“The beauty of the power products is that they can be customized to suit the needs of the various users,” she said.

The DXB series, she explained, is an Online UPS for the telecommunication sector and it ranges beween 1-30KVA,while the FR-UK series has between 1- 400KVA and the KR series is between 1-10KVA. The MG series is an Offline Back up which ranges from 0.5KVA-2KVA.

The uniqueness of the Omatek UPS/Inverters, according to the Manager of OESL Mr. Musa Igbo, is the input voltage tolerance which is between 150 -300. The UPS also come with a separate battery pack, digital signal processing (DSP), cold start up and battery monitoring system amongst other significant features


Omatek is Doing Well in Ghana - Aggrey Ntim
Oct 29, 2008 (Vanguard/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- By by Prince Osuagwu

Ghanaian Communications Minister Dr Benjamin Aggrey- Ntim , has confessed that the Nigerian companies in Ghana, particularly the Omatek computer company, have helped in boosting the Ghanaian economy.

Aggrey-Ntim in a chat with this reporter at the recent concluded Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation, CTO event, held in Abuja Nigeria, penultimate week, commended the foresight of Nigerian computer company Omatek, Ventures Plc, which recently made a foray into the Ghanaian economy, saying that the decision to come into Ghana was a wise one.

Ntim who was one of the delegates that visited the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC facilities, to mark a successful ending of the two-day CTO event, showered praises on the Nigerian companies that have expanded into the Ghanaian economy, saying they would not regret their actions.

According to him, "Nigeria and Ghana has always been good neighbours and we have a lot of Nigerian companies in Ghana, like Omatek which is doing extremely well there. Today, the company has become a household name and its acceptability lies on the aggressive market strategies which have also impacted positively on the aggregate economy of Ghana.

Besides that, Ntim said that since almost all the telecom companies in Nigeria are also in Ghana, the two countries were almost adopting the same growth parameters to sustain economic growth, but added that the CTO event has however provided some eye openers and some resilient regulatory frameworks which he would like to adapt into the Ghanaian system.

In apparent bid to live up to the standard it has created for itself in Ghana, Omatek Computers Ghana Limited in partnership with the Government of Ghana last week formally launched its e-xpress consumer initiative to make computer acquisition easy and affordable for the people of Ghana.

The e-xpress scheme was launched in conjunction with the Ministry of Communication under the umbrella of the Ghana Government Assisted PC Programme - i-Advance.

The Omatek e-xpress Consumer Scheme comes with a huge funding support from partnering banks which makes it easy for Civil Servants, Corporate Executives, Corporate Organizations, Educational Instititions, SME's and Students to acquire computers through a convenient payment plan which spans 12 - 24 months.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Group Managing Director, Omatek Ventures Plc, Mrs. Florence Seriki said the collaboration between Omatek e-xpress scheme and the i-Advance will help to bridge the digital divide, while enhancing IT penetration in Ghana.

According to her, Omatek remains 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, thus making all Omatek computers of world-class standards comparable to any other foreign brand.

She added that the international quality consciousness for Omatek brand of products is reflected in 'The Best Systems Builder Award' presented by Microsoft in 2005.

In his remarks, The Minister of Communication, Dr. Benjamin Aggrey -Ntim said the new partnership between Omatek e-Xpress and i-Advance will enhance e-governance, especially in the public sector and will also make the country become a truly technology driven society. He urged Civil Servants to optimize the use of the Computers to justify government's expenditure on ICT infrastructural development.

The event also marked the official unveiling the new Omatek brand identity, power products and 8"& 10"TFT screen positioned for the education sector in the country.

Others who also graced the event were the Ghanaian Minister of Education, Prof. Dominic Forbi, who unveiled the Omatek 8inch smartbook while the Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Sen. Musilium Obanikoro unveiled the new Omatek Corporate identity

update?

Revealing.

May her soul rest in peace ..