Aganga visits Omatek, endorses made-in-Nigeria policy

L-r Dr. Aganga, Mrs. Seriki and Dr. Ekuwem during Ministerial visit to Omatek

The Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Olusegun Aganga paid a working visit to newly commission Omatek Factory, Alausa-Ikeja in Lagos State, today, Monday and promised to see to the implementation of made in Nigeria policy.     

Speaking during the visit attended by DigitalSENSE Business News, Dr. Aganga also said that his ministry is determined to implement the made in Nigeria policy beginning with the equipment of the ministry with completely locally assembled Personal Computers (PCs).

He assured to work in collaboration with other ministries, especially the Communications Technology to ensure that the recent Federal Government policy on Made in Nigeria, tools within the Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).

Welcoming the Minister and his entourage, the Group Managing Director and chief executive officer of Omatek Ventures Plc, Mrs. Florence Seriki, said the company has factories in one, namely the Laptop, Casting for Desktop, Speakers and Solar.

She noted that Omatek went to the Stock Market with the hope of raising fund for expansion, but was dissatisfied with the lending rates.

She, therefore, advocated for a single digit interest loan so as to encourage manufacturers, especially in country like Nigeria.

Stressing that Omatek Solar section, is the only place in Africa you have 24 hours supported by Solar.

“We never waited for electricity to start,” she declared.

Omatek, she said, is a CKD factory, which means it’s a Complete Knocked Down factory, adding that the firm now join hands with universities to bring up to speed the students who take part in the internship exercise.

For instance, she said that Omatek and the University ofLagos (UNILAG) and other universities, adding that in the main time, UNILAG has about 10 students and others five.

“We now have partnership with our universities with interns sent to us from time to time. UNILAG sent us 10 and others five,” she said.

Key challenges of Omatek, she said is that of capital for further investment and volume, pointing out that Omatek has resolved to borrowing off shore at singular digits to be able to meet production.

Other industry players who spoke at the event including Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, the chief executive of Teledom Group and National Coordinator, Independent Shareholders Association of Nigeria, Sir  Sunny Nwosu.

While Nwosu lamented the policy implementation on local content, he was particular about the last Friday advert by the Nigeria Police Commission, which called for tender with specifics on Hewlett Packard (HP) brand of computers.

Describing it as a kill of joy for the local investors and assembling plants like Omatek and others

Equally speaking, the former president of the Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) and chief executive of Teledom Group, Dr. Ekuwem, warned that the position of the industry is that during the call for tenders, brand specifics, should not be mentioned.

This, he said, will enable every stakeholder to play at a level ground, mostly, the locally assembled products.

Remmy Nweke/DSBNews

 
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