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No End User Want to Experience Down Time- Gbenjo

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\Sunday Gbenjo is the managing director of Totaltelecoms Solutions Limited with over two decade experience in the telecom industry. Gbenjo has worked with the Nigeria Naval Dockyard, Sam Telecommunications, Briscoe Telecoms and has attended various international and local seminars and exhibitions. He spoke to chike onwuegbuchi about issues service delivery in telecom space among others.

Security Solution    
The solution is so simple; remember it is more security inclined. If you deploy the equipment, let us say at a bank with 10 to 15 branches in Lagos and outside Lagos, whenever there is a crisis in any of the banks, all they need do is press a button. Once the button is pressed, the emergency alert system would be transferred to the headquarters either in Lagos or Abuja and everybody will know that branch ABC located on Enugu Road is having a problem. It ensures that the law enforcement agents are quickly brought into the scene not only that, all the necessary information the law enforcement agents need to arrest the situation would be available.
Now the system has been modified to show pictures of what is happening at the. In our case, distance is no barrier, which means that if you want to monitor a location in Kano or Abakaliki and the headquarters which happens to be the monitoring room is in Lagos, you can easily do it. Not only that, you have the benefit of listening to all conversations at the troubled spot. Day in day out, we keep upgrading it at the requirement of individuals or corporate organizations by customizing it into what they need. Most of these things work with wireless distribution and all that is needed is small equipment.
Competing with Other Tracking Systems
The market is so big to the extent that one technology complements another technology. You will find out that where our system is needed, GSM tracking system might not be the suitable option. We still see ourselves as contemporaries within the IT sector. For example, we have a tracking system that can make use of Global System for Mobile communications, Sim cards, likewise there are some tracking units they have which make use of Radio Frequency (RF) signals. It is a matter of symbiotic relationship. The market is huge, where we are talking about a population of 140 million or more people. There is sufficient room to accommodate whatever anybody is bringing into the market, it a matter of one trying to pitch a tent in the market. I might decide that my technology should be for the banks and if the banks are satisfied with my product, they will key into it. Someone else might say he wants to address construction companies as his first point of call in the tracking business. Nigeria has a huge market for whatever anyone wants to offer, instead of competing with one another we can come under an umbrella, exchange ideas like what is happening with the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (Atcon). If someone comes to our company requesting for a solution we do not have, we should be free to refer the person to the company which specializes in the solution. 
Managing Different Authorized Dealership
Apart from Motorola, we are an authorized dealer to Codan, we are also an authorized dealer of Tramingo tracking system. We are currently working with about 10 to 12 agencies under the United Nations. An agency might request for tracking unit while another might request for Codan radio equipment. It is a matter of giving you what you requested for, and managing them is not so difficult. It is about creating separate units that will handle each of the products. We have well trained engineers in data transfer equipment even up to factory level on Motorola equipment and Tramingo. Now we are going into surveillance radar system whereby we bring in what is called City Watch. I can be at Victoria Island and still watch what is going on in different parts of Lagos to ensure that security is provided for the rich, poor and everyone on the street. It is a matter of how the company is designed and how each of the units is put together.
Support for these Products and Solution
Any engineering firm either mechanical or telecom that wants to see beyond today must think about its product and what package it has in place for after-sale services. For instance, for Motorola products, before you are granted agency rights, they will ensure that you have competent engineers who have been well trained. Periodically, it is not a one-off training; it is a thing we do every six months. We also send them abroad for further training. All our equipment carries one to two years warranty and with that you should have adequate support otherwise you will keep changing equipment which might not be good for the business. At Totaltelecoms Solutions, after-sales service is our watch word. Most of the profit margin are from after-sales service so if we do not have competent engineers, the chances of we being efficient is not there. This time around time is money and no good end user will want to experience down time. Ours is to ensure that the down time of any equipment is minimal. Our after-sales service is valid and robust and we do not compromise standards.
Totaltelecom Solutions and Motorola
Totaltelecoms Solutions came into being about seven and a half years ago and right from inception, we have had a relationship with Motorola. Today as I am talking to you, we are ‘one tier representative in-country’ which means it is a total package. Total package comprises of marketing, integration, installation and consultancy. Before a company would be nominated to stand in for Motorola, it must have been well tutored and trained because what we do here locally is exactly what you get either in Chicago, Israel or wherever that kind of service is offered by Motorola. Apart from the Motorola representative that people know us with, we are also into system integration, bringing in new equipment, putting them together using our knowledge of engineering so that at the end of the day when Motorola sees some of the output of some of their products, they are amazed. This has happened several times. But you will find out that engineering in a global village now is more than doing jobs in the straight jacket the way it was brought from Chicago. Customers are becoming more and more sophisticated than what the manufacturers must have input into the system. It is now our obligation to ensure that we meet up with that challenge by adding extra value to customers.
Expansion Plan   
By February next year, we will open our Abuja office. We have about 30 dealers in Abuja who act as back- ups when we are not there. What we did was to train these selected dealers to position them to be able to offer after sale support our products they sale. We also have a liaison office in Port Harcourt which takes care of the South-South and South-East zones. Most of the jobs we do is unlike the GSM selling outlets where people have to see you. Trunking projects are up to about 100 to 120 million at a go, you will have to dialogue with customers, it takes time before they even put pen on paper and it is not something that happens every now and then. The equipment we deal in is more of safety, security, and industrial equipment; it is not something you can just pick from the street. We have to ensure that the organization we are working with has the necessary government regulatory approval documents. We have to check if you have the frequency license, if not we will have to link them with the Ministry of communication to ensure that the governmental aspect of the transaction is done before they can get back to us for deployment of the solution or products.

 


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FG Plans N50m STEEM Grant to Support Student Innovation in August

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In a giant stride to support innovation, entrepreneurship and economic transformation, the Federal Government is set to unveil a N50 million grant for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medical Sciences (STEEM) students in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.

The project, which is referred to as the Student Venture Capital Grant (S-VCG), is a pioneering initiative designed to empower the students towards building the next generation of scalable, job-creating ventures.

According to a statement by the Director of Press and Public Relations in the Ministry of Education, Folashade Boriowo, Friday, the initiative will be formally unveiled in August by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa.

Boriowo stated that the minister made the disclosure during a stakeholders’ engagement session held in Abuja in the presence of vice-chancellors, provosts, rectors, student leaders, academic staff, and development partners, and will chart a collective course for nurturing student-led innovation.

The statement noted that the grant targets full-time undergraduate students in STEMM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medical Sciences), specifically those in 300 level and above.

“Each selected student-led project will be eligible to receive startup funding of up to N50 million, along with access to mentorship, incubation services and business development support.

“The initiative will be implemented in partnership with the Bank of Industry (BoI) to ensure financial transparency, impact measurement and effective project execution.

“S-VCG is not just a grant. It’s a launchpad for bold, young innovators to lead Nigeria’s industrial and technological transformation,” said Alausa.

Speaking at the session, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, described the grant as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s knowledge economy.

“We’re building a stronger, more competitive future by supporting innovation from the ground up,” she said, adding that the programme’s design was informed by months of consultation with students, faculty and institutional leaders.

Participants at the event welcomed the STEMM-Up Grant as a timely, strategic and high-impact initiative that will drive youth innovation, tackle graduate unemployment, and position Nigeria as a hub for student-led entrepreneurship in Africa.

 


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UK Businesses Look to Africa As Strategic Growth Partners

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New research by UK-based Strategy Management Partners reveals that a growing number of British businesses are identifying Africa as a key strategic growth region – drawn by structural reforms, demographic momentum, and rapid digital transformation across the continent.

The research, based on a survey of senior decision-makers from 250 large UK-based companies, finds that 50% are already active in African markets and planning to expand further.

An additional 28% are considering entry, signalling a clear uptick in long-term interest from international businesses with the resources to scale regionally.

The findings challenge outdated perceptions of Africa as a high-risk or secondary market. Instead, they highlight key drivers behind renewed commercial interest: • 61 per cent of UK leaders cited Africa’s large and growing consumer markets as a major draw. • 61 per cent pointed to the continent’s rapid pace of digital and technological adoption. • 50 per cent highlighted the potential of Africa’s young, skilled, and digitally native population.

The study also suggests that Africa is no longer viewed simply as a market for philanthropic initiatives or shortterm gain. Only 20 per cent of respondents cited philanthropic motives, while most are focused on building commercially viable, long-term operations.

Initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), are also laying the groundwork for significant economic growth.

With 23 countries already implementing preferential tariffs, the framework is expected to facilitate smoother intra-regional trade, enable market scale, and support more efficient supply chains.

These structural improvements are making Africa more attractive to global firms with the ambition to operate at scale.

However, despite rising optimism, significant operational and policy challenges remain. The top four barriers to investment cited by UK business leaders were: political and country risk (68%); safety and security issues 66.4%); regulatory barriers and tariffs (60.4%); and the complexity of cross-border transactions (60%).

Addressing these issues will be crucial to unlocking Africa’s full potential for UK investment. UK companies are showing the most interest in sectors that align with Africa’s core strengths, such as natural resources, agriculture, a young and expanding population, and infrastructure development.

These areas are seen as the backbone for long-term commercial growth, offering opportunities to build local supply chains, expand digital services, scale manufacturing, and meet rising consumer demand.

However, for companies looking to invest or expand into Africa, success also depends on key enabling conditions. According to business leaders surveyed, the top factors supporting investment are: • The size of market and consumer demand (49.6%) • Reliable and consistent energy supply (48.4%) • Access to affordable, educated and capable talent (44.8%) • Efficient transportation networks, such as roads, ports, airports (38%) • A favourable macroeconomic environment: low interest rates, low inflation, stable exchange rates, and seamless cross-border transactions and repatriation of earnings(38%).

“UK businesses are increasingly seeing Africa as a strategic growth market, driven by structural reforms, digital adoption, and the momentum behind the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA),” says Muibat Ijaiya, Partner at Strategy Management Partners.

“But real progress will depend on practical cooperation with African governments. The AfCFTAis a pivotal step forward – what’s needed now is a deeper alignment between public policy and private investment to address trade, regulatory and infrastructure barriers, and unlock long-term, sustainable growth.”

 


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Experts Champion Sustainability at Lagos Green Economy Forum

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Lagos State’s transition to a greener economy is gaining momentum, with female leaders from top corporations taking the lead and the state government beginning to record early wins from its plastic bag policy.

At the Lagos Green Economy Forum held on July 23, senior executives from MTN Nigeria, IHS Towers, TechnoServe, and other large organisations highlighted the role of corporate innovation in advancing sustainability.

The all-female panel also emphasised the urgent need to integrate Nigeria’s thousands of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) into the country’s green transition.

“We’re not just here to share strategies,” said Temilade Olabanji, Senior Manager, Sustainability and Shared Value, MTN Nigeria. “We are here to build local resilience. Our Project Zero is not only helping us cut emissions but also equipping our suppliers with the knowledge to do the same.”

MTN’s Project Zero aims for net-zero emissions by 2040, with a 50% reduction target by 2030. The company is already powering base stations and data centres with renewables, while training suppliers to understand carbon footprints and adopt circular practices. MTN has pledged that by 2026, 80% of its top suppliers will align with its sustainability goals.

Titilope Oguntuga, Director of Sustainability, IHS Towers, reinforced this approach, noting that the company’s Project Green is decarbonising its over 16,000 tower sites across Nigeria by switching to renewable energy. “Project Green is enabling all sites to run effectively with more renewable sources of energy rather than the typical fossil fuels,” she said. IHS also runs Clinic Without Walls, a free micro-health insurance scheme for underserved communities.

From the nonprofit sector, Juliet Ezeani, Senior Business Advisor of TechnoServe, explained how the organisation supports vendors through environmental impact assessments, sustainability training, and responsible procurement.“For all our projects, we look at how the project runs and especially how it affects the environment,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government provided an update on its green policy efforts, especially the plastic bag ban introduced two months ago.

“All of what we have done so far is towards making the economy of Lagos or the quality of life of the average Lagosian much better,” said Dr. Babatunde Ajayi, General Manager of the Lagos Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), who represented the Honourable Commissioner, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab.

On the plastic bag ban, he added: “What that [the ban] has also done is to free up our drainage from the plastic waste. In some way, we have reduced flooding, reduced pollution, and reduced the headache and the cost of maintaining drainages and labourers.”

Dr. Ajayi emphasised that green transition is not just a compliance issue for SMEs but an economic opportunity. “It helps them drive their engines, their entire businesses in a more sustainable manner.”

As Lagos accounts for nearly 30% of Nigeria’s GDP, the increasing alignment between corporate leaders and public policy towards a greener economy is positioning the state as a model for inclusive, environmentally responsible development.


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