Why Microsoft Nigeria was elevated to subsidiary – Makwane

DigitalSENSE Business News:

The newly appointed Country Manager for Microsoft Nigeria, Mr. Kabelo Makwane has given some insight in the recent elevation of the Microsoft Nigeria to a subsidiary of the group, reports DigitalSENSE Business News.

Speaking in Lagos, he told DigitalSENSE Business News that the Nigeria office elevation became necessary because of the maturity of the market.

According to him, there have been immense opportunities that abound which include fast economic growth; skills deposit as well as large enterprise that exist.

“There is urgent need to support these all,” he declared.

Also, he noted that that under the 4Afrika initiative which goal is the empowerment of African youth, Microsoft is already training 18 interns while one of its partners, Galaxy Backbone is training 50 with an opportunity for about 75 per cent of them to end up in Microsoft Ecosystem.

Meanwhile, giving further insight, the visiting President, Microsoft International, Mr. Jean-Philippe Courtois (JPC) told DigitalSENSE Business News that the elevation of Microsoft Nigeria to the status of a country subsidiary takes effect from the 2015 financial year, which starts on July 1, 2014.

Mr. Courtois, who also met with some of the company’s local partners, told DigitalSENSE Business News that the promotion of the Microsoft Nigeria became imperative due to the fact that Nigeria has assumed the position of one of Microsoft’s most important markets on the continent of Africa.

In addition, he reiterated Microsoft commitment to remain leading provider of cloud services globally, stressing that with cloud computing taking the continent by storm and literally changing the way businesses and individual’s access to technology, devices and services company like Microsoft remains the No.1 on cloud enterprise.

This position, he pointed out helps Microsoft to drive down the cost of data especially for the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) that often do not have the capital for Information Technology (IT) infrastructure investment.

Mr. Courtois who was flanked by the Chief Technology Officer, Microsoft Nigeria, Mr. Olayinka Oni, Country Manager-designate, Microsoft Nigeria, Mr. Kabelo Makwane, Marketing and Operations Director, Microsoft Nigeria, Mrs Awawu Olumide-Sojinrin, and Consumer and Channel Group Director, Microsoft Nigeria, Mr. Mark Ihimoyan, used the parley to share Microsoft’s rapid transition to devices, noting that the corporation is set to double its efforts in skills investments, innovation support and access provision for people across the globe in general and Nigeria in particular, so as to create sustained economic opportunities.

Emphasising that Microsoft a few days ago entered into a deal through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Federal Ministry of Communication Technology to support the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Week.

Microsoft, he revealed has invested fresh $75 million, about N120,750,000.00 in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya and other African countries.

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Pix: Makwane and JPC,