How We Help Nigerians Find Professional Artisans, Technicians –Bello
Dayo Bello is the chief executive officer of Global Sight Services Limited, an Information and Communication Technology company in Lagos that is into data collection and collation in order to provide solutions to problems in organisations in the ecosystem. In this interview with IKECHI NZEAKO, he disclosed how his company is helping Nigerians find competent artisans and technicians. Excerpts:
Tell us about what Global Sights Services Limited does?
The company creates platforms like portals that find solutions to challenges that companies face and from there we devise solutions for companies and other organisations. One of our projects is www.naijaquickfix. com, which is focused on finding solutions to problems of those who are looking for competent artisans and technicians in the country. We are aware that there are many quacks and untrained people in the sector, so we want to help people find professional artisans. We have partners on that project and these are the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN). We have all professional artisans on board and we are registering them through their associations so that we do not mix up those who are on the street and not trained with the professionals who are registered with the associations. In order for us to get the trained and professional artisans, we have to go through the associations. That is one of the projects we are working on; we have another one for drivers; we have another one for employees. We have them in different categories
What motivated you to establish the company; were there other things you could have done with your skills set?
I am a Nigerian and I noticed that companies in the country had challenges in that area and we decided to find a solution to those challenges. What actually propelled us to start the company was that we were running a haulage business and discovered that most of the drivers had attitude issues, which could make or break the company, so we began to register drivers. At that time, we had to partner with the Nigeria Police and the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), manufacturers’ association and association of insurance companies. That led us to start the ICT company and from there we expanded the services of the company and it has grown since then. The platform is called Nigerian drivers.com and it will be launched very soon.
For how long has the company been in existence?
We have been in existence for eight years.
How has the company fared generally?
We thank God; what we are doing is not something that yields immediate profit; it is something that requires patience to nurture and grow and requires hard work. When you talk about gathering data from people, a lot of things have to come into play. We recently organized the first Nigerian Artisans and Technicians’ Conference in Lagos because of what we saw in that sector and artisans and technicians from different sectors attended the event. We want to end the use of quacks as technicians in the country and help the people get value for their money by patronizing professional Artisans and Technicians.
What are the challenges you face in running the business?
There are many challenges in the business as there are in other businesses. There are challenges with the people we work with; there is the trust issue; it takes time to build trust. You go to an association to gather data and do other things and you meet people with different ideas and opinions and some may not trust you and think that you are out to exploit them and feather your own nest at their expense. It takes two to three years to build trust. However, we have overcome some of the challenges and we are taking it to the next level.
What is your assessment of the ICT environment in the country?
ICT is improving in the country; the quality of ICT is improving and technology is taking over all industries and areas of our national life. This is happening in both the formal and informal sectors of the Nigerian economy. This is taking place in buy and selling; you can practically buy everything online. Many things are done online; you want buy a house, you can do it online; you want buy or rent a car, you can do so online. You can buy anything you want by using the online platform. We now have many Nigerians working in the ICT sector and they are doing very well. It is now left to government to provide the necessary infrastructure that will make the country realize her potential in the sector. The government should also engage in capacity building. Nigerians have the ability to play in the ICT sector. If you go to Computer Village in Lagos, you will be amazed by the wonderful things they are doing there. They need government to provide an enabling environment so that they can realize the full potential. There are many who on their own are doing very well but they need support to make the country a developed nation. There is need to put a mechanism to gather them and train them to develop the country. That could be the solution to most of the challenges that the nation is facing.
What is the importance of collecting data in a country like Nigeria?
Data collection is very important in any economy. If we have data on everyone, it will be hard for anyone to commit a crime and go undetected. It is an area the government should take seriously and invest in.
How has infrastructure like power and others affected the performance of the company?
If a young person wants to enter your line of business, what skills set should they have?
The business has different areas; a young person can come in as a web developer or content creator. A person who deals with content may not know much about ICT. A web developer must have good knowledge of ICT. Any young person who wants to come into the business must be knowledgeable in the use of ICT tools and must be ready to work hard. He or she should also be a patient person. They should not expect to become rich overnight. They have to take time to learn the ropes.
Where do you see the company in the next two to three years?
In two, three years, we would have taken the company far from where we are now; we use technology and technology is changing very fast and we are leveraging technology to take the company to a higher level. We are developing new products and more people are joining the company; so we are expanding and growing bigger. The longer you stay in a business, the more patronage you get; the more companies and government institutions get to know you. We are not going away; we are a Nigerian company and are interested in developing the nation’s economy. In the next two to three years, we would have become a multi-national company.
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