Florence Seriki, Omatek Computer’s founder is dead

Big loss to ICT sector, says ATCON

Nigeria’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) community was thrown into mourning yesterday following the death of one of its pillars, the Chief Executive Officer and Group Managing Director of Omatek Ventures Plc. Mrs. Florence Seriki.

Seriki, an engineer, until her death on March 3, 2017 at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), was one of Nigeria’s pioneers and foremost indigenous Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) that specialises in the manufacturing of computers and other ICT related devices.

Born on August 16, 1963 to the Udebu family from Ebu, Delta State, The Guardian gathered that she might have died of complications arising from acute cancer of the pancreas and jaundice.

Until her death, Seriki serves as Chief Executive Officer and Group Managing Director of Omatek Ventures Plc, which she started about 25 years ago. She was the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the first completely knocked down computer factories in Nigeria and Ghana.

She holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University). Florence was the first child in the family of five girls, attended Reagan Memorial Baptist Secondary School, Sabo, Yaba between 1975 and 1980 and later proceeded to the Federal School of Science, Lagos for A levels where she emerged the best overall in lower six form.

She was a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers. Nigerian Computers Society (NCS) and the Institute of Directors (IoD). She was a former president of the Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN).

The President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Olusola Teniola, in a telephone interview with The Guardian described Seriki’s death as “very shocking and an unfortunate one for the IT industry and Nigeria as a whole.

“This is a big loss to the industry. Words cannot describe her contributions to the industry, especially as it relates to local content development in the sector, the industry and the economy as a whole. A pioneer founder of the industry, we are still in shock as an association. Condolences to the family,” Teniola stated.

The President, Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), Prof. Sola Aderounmu, said: “May God reward all her labour, forgive all her sins and grant her eternal rest. The IT community will definitely miss her.”