Dr. ’Bosun Tijani, the minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, has visited Imose Technologies in Lagos to understand the company’s challenges with local manufacturing and explore how the government can support the ecosystem sustainably.
In a welcome address, Osayi Izedonmwen, the chairman and founder, Imose Technologies, gave the Minister an overview of the company’s journey from its launch in 2014 to its venture into local assembly and becoming a leading indigenous mobile phone and tablet brand in West Africa.
In his remarks, Dr. Tijani said that Nigeria’s population would continue to grow and that “there cannot be meaningful connectivity without affordable devices.”
The aim of his visit was, therefore, to understand what the government can do to simplify Imose Technologies’ ability to produce devices locally, to make them more affordable and accessible.
Mr Izedonmwen concurred with the minister on the need to make smartphones more affordable for low-income earners and underserved communities explaining that battery components are a significant cost element of mobile phones.
“Localizing the production of lithium batteries will be a game-changer,” he said.
He pointed out that Nigeria has rich lithium deposits most of which are currently exported and stated that as a leading indigenous manufacturer of smart devices, there is an opportunity for backward integration in the supply chain.
Izedonmwen envisioned a future where Imose Technologies would be at the forefront of producing smartphone batteries from lithium.
“We believe that there is an opportunity to collaborate with the government at the national and sub-national levels to look for creative ways to reduce the cost of adoption so that those in underserved communities can access digital products. Ultimately, this will enhance digital literacy which will unlock a lot of value for the digital economy,” he stated.
Regarding the support the federal government can provide to indigenous technology companies, Dr. Tijani said, “For every sector that is a complete supply chain and what you may call a value chain through which the product is created and consumed. That is not something you leave to private companies to develop.
“The government needs to ensure proper regulation to allow companies to build, ensure that research and development are done properly and that our academic institutions are producing the skilled talent that companies need to function. In general, we have to ensure that when we come up with policies, they are policies that enable companies to do business because that is the only way we can grow our market.”
Dr. Tijani added that it is good to see companies like Imose Technologies that are going against the odds to try to build a strong business.
He stated that Imose Technologies’ products are commendable and reinforced the federal government’s commitment to support such companies.
