Today we continue our series of interview with Nigerians technologist working to advance Nigerian web industry landscape. Bamidel Odufuye is the CEO of Tsaboin that just rebranded as Nextek. He’s also the award winner in 2009 The Future Awards, Best Use of Technology.

WTN= Web Trends Nigeria

WTN: Let’s meet you?

DELE: My name is Bamidele Odufuye

WTN: Can you share with us, your startup experience?:

DELE: Starting up was not funny, but with right attitude and focus towards an ideal and prospective vision, its a question of time, the limitations would be over. With these in mind, I was able to weather the storm of starting up and enjoyed it at the same time.

WTN: Your recently renamed your company from Tsaboin to Nextek, why?

DELE: Tsaboin’s vision was great, when it was time to change gear up, its time for Nextek. Nextek is a combination of forces for better solution that the structure of Tsaboin couldn’t handle. With this understanding, Tsaboin shifted position and became Nextek. Nextek offers more solutions, offers better options and have international reach.

WTN: Your view about business adoption of internet?

DELE: Quite impressive. Recently, businesses have been re-engineering and processes have been restructured leveraging on internet software. Even SaaS have grown making demands for internet increase. Like never before has there been a platform where big companies and small companies have the opportunity to the same tool to competing for the same share of audience. The internet is this platform. Nobody knows your size as long as you offer wonderful product and a great support. I think internet has come to revolutionize the way we do business.

WTN: How is getting businesses interested in web presence generally?

DELE: The issue of a business going online is not a question of if, but a question of when. CEOs and Key decision makers to business knows that what makes a difference is how well you keep your customers. Leveraging on internet and mobile telephone, businesses have done justice to this. And the businesses that have done this are so remarkable different from those that haven’t. It is so clear in their performance.

WTN: What is your view about the Nigerian Internet market?

DELE: Growing. Impressive though. We are still consuming the technology. And we have started to create content for it. In the next couple of years, starting a new business would be as easy as having an online presence and the cerebral power to carry out the business.

WTN: Investors & technologist, what do you think is missing, money or innovation?

DELE: Both. But we have more money than innovations. But most of those money are not meant for innovations. Where I see innovators missing it here is that they are waiting for money before they move up their innovations. But really, at this time of recession, taking a lot of risk of investing in new innovations that do not look prospective is not an option investors would want to take. And you cannot blame them. Innovators on the other hand must be business conscious.

WTN: Internet broadband; with experience at recent technology outlook live streaming, do we really have broadband?

DELE: No. Not yet. But i hope when it gets here, it will meet us well with contents ready for it.

WTN: If you are not doing web business which business would you have been doing?

DELE: Photography

WTN: Going forward, what should we expect from your company?

DELE: Innovations and pioneering innovations

WTN: For our internet market to grow at a faster rate, what should we do as investors, technologist, entrepreneur, business and government?

DELE: We should open up to ourselves. Believe in spiritual capital. That is, create a win-win environment for your investors, your technical partners, your co-workers and support the government.

WTN: What do you have for budding entrepreneurs?

DELE: Brace yourselves. Nobody ever said the road is going to be easy but you have to just scale through it no matter how long. Its always a question of time. Then, be open to the right people. Share and grow.

WTN: Thank you?
DELE: Thank you too.