ICT revolution: Titans of Tech honour late Seriki, Omatek founder

The Founder of Omatek Computers, Late Mrs Florence Seriki, has been given a posthumous award for her unparalleled contributions to the growth of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry in Nigeria.

Seriki was given the posthumous honour at the 2019 edition of Titans of Tech (TOT) Award in Lagos last week.

Pedro Aganbi, Managing Consultant, Technology Africa and organiser of the award, said in a statement, that Seriki, an engineer, died in 2017, during a brief illness.

Aganbi recalled that she went into the manufacture of computers to provide jobs for Nigerians, largely the young population.

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He said that it was important to celebrate Seriki, saying that there was need to remember particularly, her great work in building the first made-in-Nigeria computer and establishing high-tech factories.

According to him, Seriki is an icon of ICT in Nigeria, her ideas literally revolutionised the Nigerian ICT space through enabling technology transfer.

“She created massive supply and support ecosystem and generated jobs across the West African coast.

“Until her death in 2017, she served as Chief Executive Officer and Group Managing Director of Omatek Ventures. Omatek was one of Nigeria’s pioneer and indigenous Original Equipment Manufacturers in Africa.

“She was a Fellow of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers, Nigerian Computers Society and the Institute of Directors.

“She held a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University),’’ he said.

Aganbi said that Seriki, a holder of the national honour award, ‘MFR’, was a renowned and accomplished ICT products and solutions consultant.

He described her as an industrialist of repute, a patriotic proponent of local content in manifold strata of the global computer assembly industry.

“She was a true amazon and an indispensable colossus in the scheme of African ICT growth and development.

“In her life time, she was celebrated in many quarters consequent upon her superlative achievements as Africa’s patriotic amazon.

“We celebrate her contributions to the development of the Nigerian ICT Industry,’’ Aganbi said.

He said that other awards given during the TOT Awards were ‘Telecom CEO of the year’ award to Mr Ikechukwu Nnamani of Medallion Communications, and ‘Most Innovative ICT Institute of the year’ to VSonet Education.

Others are ‘Best ICT Reporter of the year’ to Chima Akwaja of Leadership Newspaper; ‘Best ICT Online Media Platform’ to ITPulse; while the ‘Best New ICT Solution Provider’ went to IPI Solutions.

Also, Medallion Communications was awarded the ‘Best Innovative Data Centre Provider’; ‘Most Innovative ICT Consultancy Company’ award to Cedarview Communications, while Afrigold TV got the ‘Outstanding Movie Platform’ award, among others.

Aganbi said that the TOT Awards was designed to celebrate Hi-tech’s most important movers and shakers, the pioneers, innovators, men, women, organisations and institutions that were at the forefront of lCT adoption and usage in Nigeria.

He said that it was also an avenue to influence policy, network and connect with key industry players.