… Discusses Device Affordability in Nigeria
The Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has urged smart devices manufacturing and assembling company, Afrione to crash prices of its devices to make them more affordable to Nigerians.
The NITDA DG, who made this request during a visit to Afrione corporate head office in Lagos state, enthused that reduction of the prices of the smart devices is possible, citing the example of computer mainframe and early computers that were of high prices but today have become affordable.
Abdullahi queried: “as regulators we stimulate demand for digital devices and what can you do to crash your prices so more Nigerians can have access to smart devices?”
In his comment after a tour of the factory, the DG NITDA commended Afrione for improvements on their products, especially in the aspect of their new devices.
Abdullahi also presented NITDA’s strategic Road Map and Action Plan and encouraged them to do more.
While responding to Abdullahi’s demand, the CFO Afrione, Suloch Raja, said the company’s smart devices “can be compared to Samsung or any other device in the world in terms of affordability and quality with a year warranty.”
Raja added that “Afrione being the first African brand and first manufacturer and assembler in Africa as of today, is also planning to introduce new devices such as laptops which could be out by the end of the year.”
“Not a single tablet was sent back for anything regarding quality so we are confident that we will be able to get to your needs in cost and quality, slashing it down without compromising the quality,” assured Raja. He added that the devices will have specific educational applications that are being worked on, in compliance to institutional needs, such as universities, polytechnics, among others.
“We are focusing on the universities and schools as of now so we can target the students in such a way that after the government subsidies, it becomes very standardized, affordable at the best price and quality and in two years, we should have a classroom in each polytechnic”.
Raja further expressed: “We would love to partner with NITDA, we assure you on our quality and would love to prove it. We are currently working on getting after sales service in every state, once the device has an issue, in 24hours it should be repaired and we engage Nigerians in the Factory as 80% of the workers are Nigerians.”
He also stated that the company’s goal borders on providing employment opportunities; developing skills; empower Nigerian youth and Nigerian Economy which is in line the NITDA’s mandate.
