Omatek Computers Boss, Florence Seriki Dies. Her Life And Time

Death has been announced of a notablee entrepreneur and industrialist, Engr. Mrs. Florence O. Seriki, MFR, FNSE of Omatek Ventures.

She was said to have died yesterday 4th March 2017, after a brief illness.

Engr. Florence Seriki started Omatek Ventures Plc 24 years ago. She is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the first Computer factories in Nigeria and Ghana. She was a Non-Executive Director of Vitafoam Nigeria Plc since October 1, 2009. 

She is a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers, Nigerian Society of Engineers, Nigerian Computers Society (NCS) and the Institute of Directors. She holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University).

She is a recipient of one of Nigeria’s highest national honours; she was a Member of the Federal Republic (MFR)in recognition of her selfless service to the country. 

Her company, Omatek Computers Limited is first to win the Microsoft Best Systems Builders Award 2005 for Central, West and East Africa. She was refered to as Nigeria’s IT Amazon and has over  150 national and international recognition awards; she has led Omatek in the last 25 years to become Nigeria’s only publicly quoted computer company and helped to create massive Local Youth Employment/Empowerment in the technology industry and has enabled Technology Transfer and increase in Local Content. 

Also under her watch, Omatek Ventures Plc has created many derived Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) servicing the core IT industry. Seriki’s Omatek Ventures Plc has helped to produce IT tools massively for the Nigerian Government Computer Assisted Program under the (CANI) Computer acquisition Program for Nigerian Civil Servants as part of the efforts to re-engineer the public service for more efficiency. It also helped to produce IT tools for the Ghana’s Government Computer Assisted Program (GAPP) under the i-Advance Computer acquisition Program for Ghanaian Citizens. 

Seriki was a believer in Local Content Development in the ICT sector and the enormous potential that ICT has to offer in achieving the Millennium Development Goals, she has led Omatek Ventures Plc to partner with other private sector players and academic institutions on Research & Development to “ensure that the benefits of new technologies, especially ICT are available to all. This has resulted in the establishment of Omatek Resource Centres across many Universities/higher institutions to provide hands-on experience for undergraduates.

She was the chairperson of the Electronic and Telecommunications group of the Nigerian-American Chamber of Commerce, and a member, Nigerian National Information Technology Advisory Committee.

She was a member of the Governing Council of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, Ondo State, south west Nigeria. In recognition of her business acumen, she was invited to join the Board of Directors of Vitafoam Nigeria Plc in October 2009. Seriki was at a time President of the Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN).

Seriki was on the Presidential Private Public Committee; and on the special Presidential Committee on Port Reform; who are mandated to reduce custom clearing to 48 hours from almost a month.

Seriki was a family woman and blessed with three children. She was wielding The Woman Of The Year Award. Seriki has been inducted into into the Obafemi Awolowo University, Faculty of Technology Hall of Fame.

Awards.

Woman of the Year award, Most Fascinating Nigerian (MFN)-Press Merit Services.

Most Outstanding/Innovative company of the decade – Africa Digital Awards 2010. 

Computer

Hardware of the Year 2010 –National Information Technology Merit Awards.

Best Computer Company of the Year 2010 – West Africa ICT Development Awards. 

Professional Fellowship Award-Nigerian Computers Society.

Female Entrepreneur of the Year 2009-Equisite Magazine/Eloy ’09 Awards.

Life Time Achievement Award for Revolutionising IT in Nigeria-3rd Lagos Enterprise Award 2009. 

Distinguished Alumni Award-Obafemi Awolowo University Alumni Association(Lagos Branch).

Legend of Technology 2009 – Titans of Technology Nigerian American Chamber of Commerce.

Young Entrepreneurship Award, Outstanding Female Entrepreneur of the year, 2003.

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah Excellence in Enterprise Award, 2005. Best IT Woman of the Year 2003.

Distinguished O.A.U Alumni Award for Outstanding Achievement in IT/Digital Peers International Award of Excellence, in recognition of immense contributions to ICT, 2005.

African Leader Par e Excellence Award 2008 by the International Institute of Comparative Leadership for Africans and Blacks in Diaspora and many others.