Omatek founder’s death, huge loss for ICT industry-Stakeholders

The stakeholders told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday that Seriki, the Founder of Omatek Venture Plc, was a dogged fighter in the industry.

Seriki died at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) on Friday during a brief illness. She was aged 53.

Omatek Ventures specialises in the manufacturing of computers and other ICT devices.

Deolu Ogunbanjo, the President of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS), said that Omatek was one of Nigeria’s pioneer indigenous Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM).

Ogunbanjo said that Seriki achieved a lot in the industry, particularly in ensuring that Nigeria was put on the map of computer manufacturing.

“You cannot write the history of computer manufacturing in Nigeria without mentioning Omatek.

“’It is so unfortunate. We don’t know why this happened, but God gives and God takes,’’ he said.

A former President of the Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN), Chris Uwaje, said that Seriki’s death was blow on ICT professionals in Nigeria.

Uwaje urged that the Federal Government should come up with a programme to ensure that innovations of great entrepreneurs such as Seriki would not die with them.

“It is difficult to address Seriki in the past, considering her contributions to the development of the Nigerian ICT ecosystem. But beyond her death, it is a wakeup call,’’ he said.

According to him, the government should know that innovators are like hard disks which keep accumulating data, and if there is no back up, the data are lost permanently when the disks are damaged or lost.

“There should be a sustainable programme to galvanise the developments championed by the likes of Seriki to a national scale,” he said.

The President of ITAN, Tayo Adeniyi, described Seriki as a woman with a strong character.

Adeniyi said that Seriki was very close to the heart of Nigeria’s ICT ecosystem, adding that it would be difficult to forget her.

He noted that the deceased fought for the recognition of local computer manufacturers and other OEMs.

“Her struggle is what the sector is benefitting now.

“She is a motivator and influencer; she attracted government presence to every activity of ITAN and the ICT industry at large,” Adeniyi said.

A former President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Emmanuel Ekuwem, described Seriki’s death as ‘sunset at dawn’.

“How can anyone believe that our amazon is gone? Think of her doggedness, industriousness and the innovative ideas she championed, you will understand why I am confused.

“This is a woman that gender did not hinder from pursuing whatever she believed in.

“She dared where many men failed and succeeded in most cases that people thought she would fail.

“She was a dynamite. I am so sad that she died with all that innovative ideas which I am sure are not deposited anywhere that they can be readily available for continuity,” he said.

A former Head of Corporate Communications at Omatek Computers, Mr Adebiyi Fashoyin, wrote on his Facebook wall: ”Good night, amazon!”

“The heavens are blazing forth the death of the princess! You were ahead of your time in spite of your humility and simplicity.

“Nigeria, nay, Africa lost an enigma, who gave me my first chance in management. I am consoled that you named one of my children after yourself, Omatule.

“Death, where is your sting? I weep! I also smile at your timeless legacies. You were my friend, my boss and confidant.

“Your short but well accomplished life is better than a century without a name. RIP, Florence Seriki.”

Seriki, popularly known as Nigeria’s IT amazon, had over 150 national and international awards.

She led Omatek in the last 25 years to become Nigeria’s only publicly quoted computer company.

Seriki helped to create massive local youth employment/empowerment in the ICT industry and enabled technology transfer and increase in local content.

She was a notable entrepreneur and industrialist who started Omatek Ventures Plc about 25 years ago.

The late Seriki was the immediate past President of ITAN, an association of more than 350 Information Technology-driven companies in Nigeria, founded in 1991 to promote IT literacy and penetration in Nigeria.

She was a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers, Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) and the Institute of Directors.

Seriki holds a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University).