Nigeria’s first indigenous (University) laptop assembly complex was commissioned on Friday the 6th of October 2017 by the trio of Sa’ad Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Governor of Enugu State and Ifeanyi Okowa, Governor of Delta State.
The complex which has a capacity to produce 100,000 laptops a year is situated inside University of Nigeria and was delivered by Crestsage Limited a Lagos-based indigenous Technology company under a management arrangement with BOC (Benefitting Our Community) Innovations Limited.
In 2015, the Vice Chancellor of UNN, Benjamin Chukwuma Ozumba initiated the one laptop per student initiative in his bid to ensure 21st century compliant learning for the university students. This initiative was threatened by the recent high foreign exchange rates hence the vision of this production project.
Charles Emembolu, the CEO of Crestsage who is also an alumnus of the university explained that the Lion laptop project will deliver local content in the billion-naira industry by value substitution of components with locally available materials and labour.
It can be recalled that Emembolu and some other University Alumni delivered the Roar Nigeria business incubator and technology hub at University of Nigeria in December 2016.
The Lion laptops meets the needs of the Nigerian student matching quality with affordable cost and capacity to produce bespoke specification for different school and government initiative across the country.
Speaking at the event, Emembolu confirmed that the complex will employ about 500 people when producing at full capacity. He also affirmed that the complex offers an on-campus manufacturing and learning environment for the university community, students and researchers.
The ultra-modern complex will serve as an avenue to empower the youth with much needed applied technology skills to take a leadership role in Nigeria’s economic emancipation.
Ozumba called on the relevant government, private, technology and local content bodies to support the initiative in line with the need for industrialisation and youth empowerment.
He noted that Nigeria’s youthful population is an asset that needs to be prepared for a prosperous future of Africa and the world.
Ozumba also noted that this initiative is in line with the vision of the University’s founding fathers; “To restore the dignity of man”.
Jumoke Akiyode Lawanson
