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Firm set to open up Computer Village to American tech giants

By Adelowo Adebumiti
12 February 2018   |   4:01 am
With over three thousand small and medium scale entrepreneurs, Computer Village, West Africa largest Information and Communication Technology (ICT) hub is now a beautiful bride...

With over three thousand small and medium scale entrepreneurs, Computer Village, West Africa largest Information and Communication Technology (ICT) hub is now a beautiful bride that America tech companies are ready to court and partner with to transform the continent and leverage on her rich potentials and abundant intellectual properties.

Chairman, Silicon Valley Nigeria Economic Development (SV-NED Inc), Chief Temitope Ajayi made the remark recently during a visit to the leadership of the market in Ikeja, Lagos.

According to her, after China and India, companies in the Silicon Valley have set their sight on Nigeria as the next destination in ICT development.

Ajayi who stated that they made her a consultant for Africa said, Nigeria is going to be the trade hub for the continent soon.

She revealed that these companies with a combine estimated worth of $350 billion have seen the tremendous potentials that abound in the country and are ready to explore areas of cooperation, partnership and business with Nigerians.

According to her, SV-NED is bringing companies such as Oracle, Cisco, IBM, Google and others to the country to help train Nigerians and develop the nation’s ICT landscape.

She stated that instead of Nigerians going to America to do a one-week course for $16, 000 or $28, 000 for certification, experts from some of America Ivy Leagues universities are also coming to the country to train those that are technological inclined.

Ajayi revealed that when she learned that the least paid worker in the valley earn between $3000 and $6000 monthly, she arranged to have those slated for an extended six month training in the country to receive $300 monthly as stipend throughout the duration.

She also reiterated her determination to singlehandedly sponsor thirty best participants to America for additional training noting that the country needs graduates of artificial intelligence, robotics, IoT, Block chain, and cloud and others to be able to compete with others in these fields.

Visibly overwhelmed and excited by the ingenuity and enterprise of her fellow countrymen when she toured the market, Ajayi hailed Computer Village as the China of Africa.

She said, “I am proud of my country. All what these people need is for the Federal Government to give them a tax break. The government should invest heavily in Computer Village. It is already like a ministry. I would love to have a meeting with the minister of technology and innovation on this issue. All what Nigerians need is for Silicon Valley to come and build assembly plants in Nigeria. This is the China of Nigeria, the level of entrepreneurship here is overwhelming”, she enthused.

She therefore called on the Federal Government to explore ways of assisting the market and invest in the people saying the kind of money they would generate would be tremendous.

In his response, President, Computer and Allied Products Association of Nigeria (CAPDAN), Adeniyi Ojikutu said the market sprang up out necessity to add values to the lives of Nigerians.

According to him, in the last twenty years, Computer Village has exported products and knowledge to every part of the country and the West Africa sub region.

The president revealed that Computer Village generate an average of one point five billion naira daily and in 2013 was reported to have earned $32billion annually.

Ojikutu who stated that the ingenuity and knowledge of some of the technicians in the market are well known noted that the solutions they are providing is comparable with the best in the world.

He said: We will be happy to have strategic partnership and collaboration with Silicon Valley, California, United States of America. The strategic partnership is to promote information technology infrastructure by training our intellectual properties, recruiting and certifying Nigerian candidates.

“In addition, retaining Human Resources solution for direct local and foreign internship placement and strategic merger and acquisition”.
Ojikutu however stated that the ultimate goal is establishment of assembly plants for manufacturing computer chips, components call centres and trade hubs in the country.

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