IBM expands operations in Nigeria ... Appoints country general manager for West Africa

By Akin Adewakun, Lagos updated: Tuesday 17-02-2009

Director General of National Agency
for Foods, Drugs Administration &
Control (NAFDAC), Dr. Paul Orhii
(middle), flanked by Friesland
Foods’ Corporate Affairs Director
and Deputy Managing Director,
Mr. Isaac Agoye (right) and
Corporate Affairs Manager,
Mrs. Ore Famurewa of the same
company, during a courtesy visi t
to NAFDAC office in Abuja, recently.IBM has announced its plans to expand its operations in Nigeria to capture growth in the nation’s markets and those of the West African region.

By expanding its Nigerian office, IBM would increase its ability to support its clients, business partners, and government agencies to become more efficient, more productive and provide better quality services to citizens. The company’s increased presence will also support the country’s overall development agenda to achieve greater competitiveness and economic growth.

IBM also appointed Endy Chiakpo, a Nigerian who speaks all three major Nigeria languages - Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba - fluently, as the Country General Manager for IBM Nigeria and IBM West Africa region.

Mr Chiakpo with a 20-year career with IBM in Nigeria and the United States, had gathered experience across information technology solutions addressing important government business infrastructure challenges.

Speaking in Lagos on the company’s expansion of its business activities in Nigeria, Mr Chiakpo noted that the move would provide a platform for the company and its teeming clients and business partners to collaborate, adding that the increased presence of the company in Nigeria would go a long way in enhancing the nation’s ICT’ skill for the 21st century and at the same time result in brain gain instead of brain drain.

While describing the nation’s business terrain as full of potentials, waiting to be harnessed, Mr Chiakpo argued that tbe present global economic meltdown would not in any way hinder the company from achieving its business objectives of helping its customers in the country provide for the 21st century.