General News
Local Equipment Suppliers Should be Encouraged – Okafor
Edwin Okafor is managing director of Adimo Electronics Limited – suppliers of telecommunication equipment.
A consummate entrepreneur with skills in electrical and telecom installations and networking engineering, Okafor decried low-patronage of indigenous firms in the thriving telecom business in Nigeria. He spoke to funmi ilesanmi.
What is Adimo?
We are into sale of networking equipment. We sell fibre optic cables and other equipment. We give private telecom operators the needed fibre backbone support.
The whole world is going fibre and Nigerians now enjoy telecommunication services. A lot of people now have internet in their homes and a lot of new things are happening.
With competition, tariffs are coming down and people also have easy access to internet services. A lot of private operators are investing in communications and it is no longer a mono-industry as it was in the days of Nitel.
You can see private operators giving internet access to people on their phones and they can browse the internet anytime, anywhere unlike before when we go to business centres to browse.
So the business is booming with our population advantage and thus, Nigeria can compete in the global telecom space.
Ghana had telecommunication services before Nigeria but we have surpassed Ghana by all standards. Nigeria’s telecommunications market is even growing at a faster pace than South Africa’s’ and by this we can compete globally because the business is here.
Adimo operates from two locations – Port Harcourt and Lagos; we are making plans to open a third office in Abuja.
Fibre to Home
Fibre to home is good but we do not have good roads here in Nigeria and if you must lay fibre, you lay it along the road side or make a path for it.
There is what the Lagos State Government calls Right-of-Way (RoW) and you must get this approval before you can lay fibre. In Ikoyi and Victoria Island, many people are connecting fibre to home because there is a laid down path where fibre can be laid but you cannot compare Victoria Island to Ajangbadi in case you want to lay fibre to home.
They might want to construct a new road and definitely the fibre must be pulled out. For example, the road construction from Orile to Mile 2; when the road was being constructed, all the fibres on the road were pulled out.
The Lagos State Government has created a link where these fibres will be channeled when constructing new roads.
The government created a very good channel for fibre on the newly constructed Bode Thomas road with very good manholes.
That is the way it is done in developed countries. They give space for fibre to home in case other communications links need to come in.
Challenges
The challenges are enormous. One is getting right of way to lay cables.
Secondly, some operators we supply fibre cables and other equipment delay in making payments. After supplying these operators with equipment, it takes them about one and half year to make payments.
They keep telling you that there is no cash flow but the banks do not want to hear that, the interest rate keeps running.
There was a time they wanted to pass a bill between the supplier and the buyer because they will give you an LPO that they will pay in 30 days.
This means that when you supply the equipment, you will be paid in 30 days but they do not meet up with this payment plan.
After supplying the equipment, it takes one and half ears for payment to be made.
That is our major challenge in terms of payment.
When you go to them for your money, they tell you no cash flow but the bank is not interest in that, your interest rate is running.
Private operators need to help us by maintaining the 30 days payment plan.
Another challenge is that indigenous companies seldom get jobs directly. Nigerians prefer colour-skinned people (that is, white men) to their country men.
Subsequently, jobs are preferentially given to Indians, Lebanese and other foreign companies.
For example, I saw a Chinese man slicing at Mile 2 but this is the kind of work our people should do.
We need to encourage our people not foreigners.
This makes our people lazy. After the jobs are given to them, they in turn come to us for one thing or the other and at the end of the day when you check the profit margin; it is nothing to write home about.
Again, if we travel abroad to their countries they cannot give you such jobs to do in their countries but they can do that here in Nigeria. This is unfair.
The government needs to encourage us; private operators also need to encourage us. In a networking business like ours, it is no hide and seek game.
Before these jobs are given to foreigners, verification need be done to ensure there are no indigenous companies with capacity.
You bring a calibrated paper, you bring a certificate of the equipment you use and if it is certified, the job should be given to indigenous companies.
Immediately the job is done, a series of test should also be carried out to determine if the job was well done. For example, if you slice a cable and it gives you high DB loss, there is no way you can manage it.
Definitely, you must know what gave you that high DB loss.
There is nothing like our people do not know the job. Telecommunications has been in Nigeria for a while and does it mean that for this number of years we have not trained someone who can slice cable?
Does it mean that for more than 10 years we did not train people who can do the job locally? That means we do not know what we are doing.
The banks are also not helping matters; the interest rate is on the high side.
To borrow money from Nigerian banks is as if you want to pluck the moustache of a live lion and this is causing us setbacks.
Before we started doing business in Nigeria we went to so many banks to help us but none of them agreed.
We were only able to get financial support from abroad and their interest rate is low compared to that of Nigerian banks.
Future of Telecommunication Equipment Supplies
That the 2010 World Cup and London 2012 Olympic Games were watched on the internet was the work of fibre optic cables and its high configuration switches. The whole world is going fibre now and it is being done fibre to home.
It is an emerging technology in Nigeria, many companies do not know about it, only multinationals know about it but a time will come when everyone will know about it.
There was a time when only Nitel lines were in use, nobody knew everyone would later carry about three phones.
Then some digital lines were bought for as high as N120,000, some analogue lines N60,000 while the 090 which was a mobile line was about N40,000 but this new technology is just unfolding, many people need to be enlightened to know that this is real.
Manpower Development
We outsource training of our engineers.
Young people troop in here daily in search of jobs, I encourage them and direct them to our training partners and if they excel at the training, both the technical aspect and the theoretical aspects, we can easily employ them.
There is what we call ‘contract staff,’ after the training we employ them as contract staff and if there is work to be done, we engage them.
We have both permanent and contract staff.
We make sure our contract staff do not stay idle. When we do not have jobs sometimes, we tell them to assist some other people who have jobs to be done.
There is no employment out there and young people want to work because the universities graduate thousands of students yearly.
Government and Patronage of Local Enterprise
Government should mandate these foreign companies to employ our people. For example, at first it could be 50 per cent indigenes to 50 percent foreigners but these foreigners when they work for the first six months, remove 20 per cent of them and fix 20 of our people.
When they work for one year, remove five percent of the foreigners and add your own people. That way our people can be gainfully employed.
That is a high diplomacy of how to go about it. But these foreigners after agreeing to this term employ 50 percent of our people but after the first month, these people are laid off and replaced with foreigners citing reasons of non performance.
How can a Chinese man slice cables when our people can do this.
The money is not coming from the foreigners, it is our money but this money is going to foreigners. We need to benefit from the money because it is our money.
Breathe Life Foundation partnered with Teach Nigeria Fellow, Ms Bunmi Rotimi, to deliver a respiratory health awareness session for over 200 senior students of Cleggs Girls High School, Surulere, Lagos.
The session equipped students aged 15–19 years with practical knowledge about the risks associated with smoking, vaping, and shisha, while challenging the misconception that shisha is a safer alternative to cigarettes or other substances.
Through an engaging and interactive discussion, students explored the influence of peer pressure and learned practical strategies for making healthier, more informed lifestyle choices.
They also gained a better understanding of common environmental triggers of asthma and other respiratory conditions, including cigarette smoke, generator fumes, bush burning, mosquito coil smoke, candles, charcoal, and firewood.
The session highlighted an important reality: young people may not always recognise how seemingly routine lifestyle choices and environmental exposures can gradually affect their respiratory health, quality of life, and long-term wellbeing.
For Breathe Life Foundation, this reinforces the importance of shifting the conversation from treatment to prevention through awareness and education. By equipping young people with the knowledge to identify risks and make healthier choices early, the Foundation is helping to build a generation that is more conscious of – and better prepared to protect – its respiratory health.
Breathe Life Foundation is dedicated to advancing respiratory health, an often-neglected public health priority. Healthy lungs are essential to life, yet respiratory diseases remain among the world’s leading causes of death and disability, even though many are preventable and treatable.
Nigeria’s technology retail landscape reached another significant milestone on Monday, August 3, 2026, as global technology giant ASUS, in partnership with Konga, officially commissioned its first flagship experience store in West Africa.
Strategically located at 16 Otigba Street, Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos; the heartbeat of Nigeria’s technology ecosystem, the state-of-the-art facility represents a major investment in customer experience, product accessibility, and digital innovation.
The launch also reinforces Konga’s growing reputation as a preferred gateway for leading global technology brands into the Nigerian market.
The landmark event attracted Dr Kingsley Tochukwu Udeh, SAN, minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, who officially commissioned the store.
Also in attendance were the Chairman of Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh; Chief Operating Officer of Konga, Dave Omoregie; VP Omni-channel & Commercial Planning, Melvin Onochie; and Head of Marketing and Communications at Konga Group, Victor Oluwaleye.
The ASUS team was led by E.EMEA General Manager, Aaron Tsai, alongside Business Development Manager, Sunnie Chen; Sales Manager, Mohammed Kazim; Gaming Product Manager, Joy Chen; Marketing Manager, Adeola Odeleye; and Sales Specialist, Williams Okenna.
The Honourable Minister described the facility as a defining achievement for Nigeria’s digital economy, noting that it is far more than the opening of a retail outlet.
He called it a strong vote of confidence by a global technology brand in Nigeria’s innovation, science, and technology ecosystem and the immense potential of its market.
He noted that his presence underscored the Federal Government’s commitment to fostering stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors, describing such partnerships as essential to achieving Nigeria’s ambition of building a one-trillion-dollar economy driven by private enterprise and enabled by government.
The Minister paid tribute to Leo Stan Ekeh, describing him as one of the foremost architects of Nigeria’s digital transformation.
He announced that Ekeh had recently agreed to champion the Federal Government’s Youth and Students in Innovation initiative, a flagship programme aimed at equipping young Nigerians with entrepreneurial and technology skills.
According to him, Ekeh’s decades of visionary entrepreneurship have played a pivotal role in shaping the country’s technology ecosystem and attracting prominent technology companies into the Nigerian market.
Using the occasion to address the international business community, the Minister encouraged global investors and brands to look beyond establishing commercial operations in Nigeria and actively partner with the government in driving national development.
He assured investors of the Federal Government’s commitment to creating an enabling environment that safeguards investments and delivers sustainable returns.
Speaking at the event, ASUS E.EMEA General Manager, Aaron Tsai, expressed appreciation to partners, government representatives, and customers for their support.
He explained that the flagship store was conceived to provide consumers with direct access to authentic ASUS products, and expressed confidence that the partnership with Konga will further accelerate the brand’s growth and strengthen customer engagement in the region.
The experience centre features dedicated sections showcasing ASUS’ complete portfolio of premium laptops, gaming devices, AI-powered PCs, and cutting-edge innovations. A standout attraction is an interactive digital display that allows visitors to explore ASUS’ latest technologies virtually before making purchase decisions, creating a more engaging and informed customer journey. Plus, every ASUS device purchased through the flagship store or online on Konga comes with a special one-year replacement warranty at no extra cost.
In his remark, Chief Operating Officer of Konga Group, Dave Omoregie, said the flagship store reflects Konga’s deliberate strategy to give Nigerian consumers a seamless blend of online and offline retail.
He noted that Konga’s logistics network, payment infrastructure, and nationwide retail footprint uniquely position the company to support global brands like ASUS at scale, while ensuring customers enjoy authentic products backed by reliable after-sales service.
According to him, the partnership demonstrates what becomes possible when world-class technology brands trust Nigerian platforms to deliver exceptional experiences, adding that Konga remains committed to setting the operational standard for authentic technology retail across the country.
The launch further reinforces the enduring partnership between ASUS and Konga, built on shared values of innovation, authenticity, and customer satisfaction.
It also highlights Konga’s continued evolution beyond traditional e-commerce into a comprehensive omnichannel technology ecosystem that combines online convenience with physical retail experiences.
For Nigerian consumers and businesses, the new ASUS Flagship Experience Store represents more than a retail outlet; it is a symbol of confidence in Nigeria’s technology market. It highlights Konga’s commitment to bridging the gap between global technology brands and Nigerian consumers. With its robust logistics infrastructure, digital payment solutions, and nationwide physical retail presence, Konga continues to set the standard for authentic, accessible, and reliable technology retail across Africa.
The flagship store opening featured guided product demonstrations, immersive technology experiences, exclusive launch-day offers and customer engagement activities celebrating this historic milestone.
Customers can begin shopping immediately at the ASUS Flagship Experience Store, located at 16 Otigba Street, Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos. Visitors can explore authentic ASUS products, experience live product demonstrations, receive expert guidance, and access dedicated Starlink customer-support services.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to direct, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), attorney general of the federation and minister of Justice; Olatunji Rilwan Disu, inspector-general of Police, and relevant anti-corruption agencies to investigate allegations that more than ₦6.79 billion in public funds were missing, diverted or misapplied within the Nigeria Police Force and the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs.
The allegations are contained in the Auditor-General of the Federation’s 2022 Annual Report, published on September 9, 2025.
In a letter dated August 1, 2026, and signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, deputy director, SERAP, the organisation urged the government to ensure that anyone implicated in the report is prosecuted and that all missing public funds, firearms and ammunition are recovered.
“Anyone suspected to be responsible—including contractors, companies and public officials implicated in the report—should be promptly prosecuted, while all missing public funds, firearms and ammunition should be fully recovered, secured and properly accounted for.”
SERAP described the Auditor-General’s findings as a serious breach of public trust.
“The Auditor-General’s findings suggest a grave betrayal of the public trust and raise serious concerns about corruption and the management of public funds, police exhibits, firearms and ammunition.”
The organisation also expressed concern over allegations involving missing firearms, unauthorised use and release of police exhibits, and poor storage of weapons.
“The report also raises serious concerns over missing firearms and ammunition, the unauthorised use and release of police exhibits, failures to properly account for exhibits, and the insecure storage of firearms, creating significant risks to public safety and national security.”
According to SERAP, the alleged diversion of funds meant for policing and the reported irregularities have weakened the operational effectiveness of the Nigeria Police Force.
“The diversion of funds meant for policing, abandoned security projects, missing firearms and ammunition, and the misuse of police exhibits undermine the operational effectiveness of the Nigeria Police Force, weaken public confidence and may contribute to Nigeria’s worsening insecurity.”
The organisation said the Auditor-General’s report documented several alleged financial irregularities, including payments for projects that were never executed, abandoned contracts, inflated contract costs, irregular procurement, unretired cash advances, unsettled insurance claims and payments for services allegedly not rendered.
“The report documented numerous alleged financial irregularities within the Nigeria Police Force and the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs, including payments for projects that were never executed, abandoned contracts, inflated contract costs, and irregular procurement.”
“The report also documented unretired cash advances, unsettled insurance claims, payments for services allegedly not rendered, and other suspected diversion and misapplication of public funds amounting to over ₦6.79 billion.”SERAP further cited allegations of missing firearms and ammunition, failures to properly account for recovered weapons and exhibits, and insecure storage of firearms.
“The allegations also include missing firearms and ammunition, the unauthorised use and release of police exhibits, failures to properly account for recovered firearms and other exhibits, and the insecure storage of firearms, posing serious risks to public safety and national security.”
The organisation gave the Federal Government seven days to act on its demands, warning that it would pursue legal action if no response is received.
“We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal action to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest.”
SERAP also argued that the allegations, if left unaddressed, would violate constitutional provisions requiring the government to combat corruption and safeguard the welfare and security of Nigerians.
Among the specific findings cited from the Auditor-General’s report were allegations of payments for abandoned and unexecuted police projects worth hundreds of millions of naira, inflated contract values, unretired cash advances, irregular procurement processes, unsettled insurance claims exceeding ₦681 million, over ₦1 billion in uncleared insurance policy liabilities, missing firearms and ammunition, unauthorised release of police exhibits, and contracts allegedly awarded without due diligence by the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs.
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