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Shittu, Ndukwe, Others Mourns Late Omatek Boss
Adebayo Shittu, minister of Communications, has commiserated with the family of Mrs. Florence Omatule Seriki, founder and CEO of Omatek Ventures Ltd and the nation’s ICT community on the sudden death of the frontline indigenous computer manufacturer.
On his part, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, former executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) described her as a woman of uncommon intellect and courage.
Also, The Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) described her demise as an irreparable loss to the Seriki family, the nation’s ICT community and the country at large.
The Minister said that Mrs. Seriki died when the nation most needed her wealth of experience to boost ICT development in the area of manufacturing and assemblage of computers, equipment and accessories.
According to him, her death is a monumental loss to the nation especially at this period that the government is courting the ICT sector as the next mainstay of the economy.
His words,” Honestly speaking, the Nigerian ICT community will greatly miss her considering her huge contributions to the development of computer hardware and accessories. In fact, Mrs. Seriki, a team player, was a front liner who paved the way for other indigenous manufacturers of computers in Nigeria and Africa.
“It is worthy of note that her contributions transcend beyond the shores of Nigeria with a big factory in Ghana, as Omatek brand of computers is an household name in many African countries”.
He was optimistic that her demise will not wane down the growth and influence of the company in ICT development, stressing that “what she lived for should be upheld”.
While the Minister prayed for the repose of the soul of the deceased, adding that God will give the members of her immediate family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.
Ndukwe while reacting to the news of her demise, said that “I join all the members of the ICT family to mourn the untimely passing of an Amazon. A woman of uncommon intellect and courage. She was a great ally during the days of telecommunications liberalization/deregulation. May her soul respect in peace”
On their part, the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) said they mourn, with heavy heart, the passing of Mrs. Florence Seriki, a major player in the IT industry.
The Society described her as an acclaimed IT Amazon in her own right; she was a dogged entrepreneur, pacesetter and industrialist who made giants strides in the sector.
“Mrs. Seriki was the Immediate Past President of the Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN) and was a member of the NCS National Executive Council for several years.
“She was a fellow of NCS, Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers and the Institute of Directors.
“Mrs. Florence Seriki was honoured with Member of the Federal Republic (MFR) national honour in recognition of her contributions to national development. Based on her exploits in the tech sector, she emerged as the 2015 Information Technology (IT) Personality of the Year.
“Her passing is a huge loss to the IT community. May God comfort her family and loved ones she left behind. May her soul rest in peace.
Seriki was born in Lagos to the Udebu family from Ebu in Delta State. She had her secondary education at the Reagan Memorial Baptist Secondary School, Sabo, Yaba between 1975 and 1980. History of the school still has it that she put up a superlative academic performance all through her stay.
She then proceeded to the Federal School of Science, Lagos (F.S.S) for her A levels. Again, she emerged as the best overall student in lower six form. She proceeded to the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife). She graduated in Chemical Engineering.
In 1993, during the CTO exhibition (organized by the commercial section of the American Embassy in Nigeria), Florence took a bold step to launch the Omatek brand of Computers. This, which is actually the first attempt of its kind in Nigeria, became widely accepted and used as a result of its quality and ruggedness.
Early in 2003, she took another giant stride opening a factory in Lagos. The factory has turned out to be the very first in Africa to produce Nigerian made Computer Cases, Speakers, Keyboards and Mouse from completely knocked down (CKD). The factory produced made in Nigeria Omatek Computers, Notebooks and Servers with all its components made in Nigeria.
Florence expanded the business when she established Omatek Ghana as part of her vision towards making Omatek a pan African company. She also opened another arm of the business in Singapore as part of efforts to engage in effective research and development for the business.
According to a statement signed by Dr. Timothy Farinre, chairman, Omatek Ventures Plc, during her lifetime, every day was a challenge – a challenge she enjoyed and with these challenges she grew both personally and technically.
“But equally important, she thoroughly enjoyed working with her professional colleagues. Through her experience, Omatek grew to become a very relaxed atmosphere, which also helped her staff to performing at their best.
“Her work was part of her self-fulfillment. The other part is of course more personal, be it about spending time with friends and family, or pursuing her hobbies. Her job gives her the flexibility to enjoy that just as much.
“Naturally, her university education provided her with the basics, which she applied in her job. But she learnt new things almost everyday due to her wide travel experience. She did not pursue these things because she was thinking about her career, but because it was fun and an adventure she didn’t want to miss”, he said.
Florence was talented, innovative, hardworking and a consumate achiever.
She won over 150 awards during her lifetime.
Married to Olalekan Seriki, a successful architect, Florence Seriki is blessed with three children, a boy and two lovely girls.
INTERPOL’s African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026 revealed that Artificial intelligence accounts for 55 per cent of reported cybercrimes across Africa and making attacks faster, more sophisticated and increasingly difficult to detect.
The report warns that the continent’s rapid digital transformation, marked by more than 1.1 billion mobile subscribers in 2025, is being matched by an equally rapid evolution in cybercrime, while fragmented legislation and limited AI readiness among law enforcement agencies continue to weaken responses.
The 40-page assessment, based on survey data from 36 African member countries, said cybercrime has shifted from isolated criminal activity to an industrialised, borderless ecosystem powered by AI.
According to the report, East Africa has become a hotspot for mobile money fraud and ransomware attacks targeting critical infrastructure, while business email compromise (BEC) and romance scams are widespread across Central and West Africa.
Southern Africa, it noted, has become an attractive target for international cybercriminals due to its high level of internet connectivity.
The report also highlighted the growing financial impact of cybercrime across the continent, revealing that losses have more than doubled since 2024, rising from 192 million dollars to 484 million dollars.
It attributed the increase largely to AI-enabled scams, credential harvesting and automated social engineering attacks.
INTERPOL said online scams remained the most commonly reported form of cybercrime in 2025, with criminals exploiting mobile money platforms, social media and AI-generated content to deceive victims.
It added that 72 per cent of surveyed countries reported the existence of scam centres, with the highest concentration recorded in Southern and West Africa.
The report further identified digital sextortion and online harassment as persistent threats, driven increasingly by AI-generated deepfakes and synthetic media.
According to data from TrendAI, one of INTERPOL’s partners, about 600,000 sextortion incidents were detected during the reporting period.
Business email compromise schemes have also become more sophisticated, with AI being used to generate highly convincing email communications.
The report said Africa-based threat actors are increasingly targeting victims in Europe and North America using cyber infrastructure spread across multiple jurisdictions.
INTERPOL warned that the absence of real-time information sharing between banks, telecommunications companies and law enforcement agencies has created significant vulnerabilities in tackling financial cybercrime.
It said cybercriminals are no longer relying solely on stolen credentials but are now creating AI-generated synthetic identities by combining genuine personal information with fabricated details.
These synthetic identities, the report noted, have been used to bypass biometric verification systems, open bank accounts, obtain mobile loans and register SIM cards under false identities.
Neal Jetton, Director of INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Directorate, described cybercrime as one of the most significant criminal threats facing Africa.
“Cybercrime has emerged as one of the most significant criminal threats to the region. AI is automating every stage of a cyberattack from reconnaissance and phishing to extortion and evasion.
“However, we see that when countries work together, cybercriminal infrastructure can be identified, disrupted and dismantled,” he said.
Despite the growing threat, the report highlighted progress in strengthening cybersecurity across the continent.
It disclosed that 17 African countries enacted or amended cybercrime legislation in 2025, while Senegal launched an online reporting platform to improve responses to online offences affecting children.
The report also noted that regional capacity-building initiatives are helping to improve long-term cyber resilience.
INTERPOL said four major cybercrime operations conducted in 2025, Operation Serengeti 2.0, Operation Contender 3.0, Operation Sentinel and Operation Red Card 2.0, resulted in more than 1,500 arrests, the seizure of hundreds of electronic devices and the recovery of over 100 million dollars.
To address the growing threat, the report recommended the adoption of standardised digital forensic capabilities, stronger cross-border collaboration, greater investment in AI literacy for law enforcement personnel and formal public-private partnerships to improve cybercrime prevention, detection and response.
The African Cyberthreat Assessment 2026 forms part of INTERPOL’s African Joint Operation against Cybercrime initiative, funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with data contributions from Fortinet, Mastercard, the Shadowserver Foundation, S2W and TrendAI.
Nigerian students will soon design, assemble, test and fly drones as part of their university education, following a partnership between Miva Open University and Abuja-based defence technology company Terra Industries.
The collaboration comes as Nigeria intensifies efforts to develop indigenous capabilities in advanced manufacturing and defence technology, with both organisations seeking to strengthen Africa’s pipeline of deep-tech talent.
The partnership will see students gain hands-on experience in drone engineering and related technologies through dedicated labs and industry collaboration.
The partners will establish robotics, drone and virtual reality laboratories across Miva’s study centres, beginning with a pilot facility in Abuja.
Students will also gain access to industry-led workshops, research opportunities, internships and mentorship in artificial intelligence, robotics, cybersecurity and autonomous systems.
According to the partners, Terra’s engineering teams will work alongside Miva faculty to integrate hands-on hardware training into academic programmes, exposing students to real-world engineering challenges and building industry experience before graduation.
Nathan Nwachuku, co-founder and CEO of Terra Industries, said Africa’s technological future depends on developing engineers capable of building solutions for local challenges.
“The engineers who will build Africa’s future must learn by building. This partnership creates opportunities for students to work with the technologies shaping modern security, infrastructure and autonomous systems,” said Nwachuku.
Miva Open University said the initiative forms part of its commitment to experiential learning, adding that students will have the opportunity to “design, test and fly drones as part of their academic experience”.
The partnership builds on Terra’s expanding role in Nigeria’s defence technology sector. Earlier this year, the company signed a joint venture with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria to localise the production of drones, robotics systems and cybersecurity infrastructure, supporting efforts to strengthen domestic manufacturing and reduce reliance on imports.
Atte Ayodeji, a Nigerian computer scientist,has developed an artificial intelligence algorithm capable of detecting, counting, grouping and generating healthy hair follicles during hair transplant procedures, an innovation that earned him the Best Innovative Technology award.
Atte Ayodeji
Ayodeji also graduated with a Distinction in his Master of Science (MSc) in Computer Science from Birmingham City University on Friday, adding another milestone to an impressive academic year.
Beyond his award-winning hair transplant innovation, the Nigerian researcher developed a system and framework on Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) as a professional responsibility in the diagnosis of lung cancer.
His dissertation received a silver award at the PGXPO2026 Winter, further highlighting the impact of his research in applying artificial intelligence to healthcare.
Sunday Dare, special adviser on Media and Public Communication to President Tinubu, celebrated Ayodeji’s achievements in a post on X, recalling how he first met him in 2019 during his National Youth Service.
“In 2019 when I became a Minister of the Republic, I met a young man of medium height, genteel with penetrating eyes: Atte Ayodeji. His words rarely come out and he could easily be passed by unnoticed. But I noticed him especially when my SA Kemi Areola brought him to me asking my approval for him to do his Youth Service in my office. I approved. From then on he was unstoppable. His brilliance shown and he developed skills beyond his frame.”
Highlighting Ayodeji’s recent accomplishments, Dare congratulated him saying, “Congratulations Atte. I am proud of you!”
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