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For IoT Africa Networks Limited (a Tranter IT Infrastructure Service Limited company), 2021 has been a great year despite the pandemic.
As market gradually opens to business and becomes more receptive to emerging technologies, companies like IoT Africa Network are proving their mettle. The company won big at the 2021Titans of Tech Hall of Fame Awards as it bagged the ‘Outstanding loT Provider of The Year Award.’
“We are honored to have won the ‘Outstanding loT Provider of The Year Award’ and it definitely encourages us as a company to keep giving our all and achieving greatness as we provide world-class IoT connectivity and solutions across Nigeria,” said Mr. Lare Ayoola, CEO of IoT Africa Networks Limited.
The Titans of Tech Hall of Fame Awards ceremony, which held in Lagos, had three main parts namely: Exhibition, Seminal RoundTable, and the Technology Awards. The allowed the public to see and interact with leading players in the Nigerian ICT and technology space.
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The Roundtable followed, a platform for important players in the Nigerian technology sector to discuss steps to build a better society and improve citizens’ quality of life using innovative technology.
The panel featured Ayoola, Mr. Ikechukwu Nnamani, President, Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON); Aderemi Adejumo, CEO of Cloudflex; and Tinuade Oguntuyi, Head, Core Networks and Solutions, Information Connectivity Solutions Limited (ICSL
Ayoola, CEO of IoT Africa and Tranter IT Infrastructure services, discussed how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and IoT will transform the digital economy. He outlined the impact of IoT on the various industries in Nigeria. He spoke about how IoT management will transform real estate, power, logistics, manufacturing, construction, agriculture, security companies, banking & finance, and many other industries.
Ayoola gave an instance of what can happen when IoT is not fully maximized, He said, “There was a case in one of the banks where there was a power outage and the UPS kicked in. The technician who knew how to start the generator was not available, and a staff tried to fill in. The generator did not start, the batteries in the UPS died, and the entire data center of the bank went down.”
“It took them at least half a day to bring it back up. Therefore, they lost half a day’s worth of business. Had there been IoT sensors installed in that data center to monitor the battery of the UPS, or monitor the supply of electricity from the PHCN and the generator, that catastrophe would have been averted.
“A signal would have been sent to the bank’s central command, and they would have sent someone physically to solve the problem. From that incident, they would have also had data to analyze and prevent that sort of problem in the future,” said Ayoola.
He also spoke on how “the applications of IoT are limitless. It saves time, eliminates waste, maximizes profits, reduces anxiety, monitors environments, enhances security, and optimizes businesses to achieve maximum profits.
He cited examples of how IoT can signal agronomists and farm owners on the state of livestock, how crops are faring on a farm site or a rise or decrease in temperature of a storage grain silo. It will save Nigerians from agricultural losses, post-harvest losses, financial, operational, and resource losses. The adoption of A.I and IoT, is the gateway to the future of a sustainable digital economy.”
Nnamani, ATCON’s president and also the CEO of Medallion Communications also spoke. He said, “a vast majority of Nigerians are not aware of the tremendous benefits A.I and IoT have, and its diverse applications. A decade ago, people had to commute for hours before reaching their workplaces and commute for long hours back to their homes. Technology has devised easier, more convenient ways to work from home, attend virtual meetings and conduct financial transactions on the go.
Mrs. Ogunfuyi spoke on the benefits of IoT in the digital economy for emerging markets like Nigeria. The market for IoT is potentially large here in Nigeria. This is because these technologies offer productivity-boosting opportunities, increased access to digital products and services that help optimize processes and production, reduce transaction costs and transformation of supply chains.
She noted that “increased reach to millions of consumers, encourage investment and adoption of digital technologies. This drives firms to participate in global value chains and directly access customers in foreign markets in ways previously only feasible for large and established companies from advanced economies.”
