Dr. Charles Iheagwara, a licensed professional engineer and an internationally known technology researcher is the founder of Unatek, Inc. a US government Information Technology contractor located in Bethesda, Maryland and Intruiononline, Inc. a Cyber security online media and analyst service firm. In this virtual interview, the ICT expert who has a Master of Science (SM) degree in Management and Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States and completed several MBA courses from Harvard Business School in satisfaction of the MIT degree requirements tells ONCHE ODEH about Unatek as well as how Nigeria could deploy ICT and its applications to curb the ugly menace of corruption, fraud and insecurity.
How did you come up with the concept and processes that led to the eventual birth of Unatek?
Unatek,Inc. (www.unatek.com) was founded in June 1996 in the State of Maryland, USA. Originally, it was founded as UTV Environmental and Engineering Company. Later, we added another business line ? Information Technology ? and renamed it Unatek, Inc. UTV Environmental (www.unitedenvironmental.net) is now an operating business unit.
What problems areas is Unatek conceived to solve?
Unatek provides services in major information technology areas. Primarily, we are a US federal government contractor with multiple contract vehicles including the US Navy Seaport e, US GSA Schedule, State of Maryland CATS II, Metropolitan Southern California, Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission and Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Details are available at: http://unatek.com/contract_vehicles.php. In recent years, Unatek has carved a niche as a Cyber security firm. In 2011, Unatek won a State-wide award as the ?Homeland Security Company of the Year.? Details are available at: http://unatek.com/company_4.php
Unatek, MIT, Harvard and the many other heights that have become part of the definition of Charles Iheagwara were acquired along the line in your life. Can you please take us through your growing up days?
Growing up in Nigeria was fun and very fulfilling. In the schools, discipline was upper most in our minds and the school curriculum. We cherished culture and practiced our religion as best as we could. I grew up with the generation that valued knowledge, respected parents and elders and most importantly worship God to the true meaning of it. My parents have ten (10) children and one died during the civil war as an infant. I had my elementary school at Fatima primary school in Jos and went to the elite Mbaise boys secondary school in the east. The rest of my siblings had both their primary and secondary school education in Jos, except for my senior sister who attended Mbaise girls secondary school. Jos provided a good environment to be a boy and a young man. Those days, it was de-tribalised and we had fun with people of all ethnic groups and religions not knowing the differences. Since I left Nigeria, I have attended seven (7) undergraduate and post-graduate institutions (including MIT and Harvard) in Moscow, Russia, Wales, UK and the US.
Did any event in the past form your reason for decisions taken with regards to choice of course and institutions?
Not really, except that Mbaise Boys Secondary School (MSS) was one of the best at the time and we all aspired to go to good schools and to be lawyers, engineers, doctors, etc. In such a highly competitive environment, one can only but work harder and pray to God for success. But, I knew that I will attend the best institutions which turned out to be the case. At MSS, I had three (3) prefectship positions ? the Regulator in forms 3 and 4, the Furniture Prefect and Scaristian (i.e. religious prefect) in form 4. Nothing could have prepared me better for the life ahead. In particular, the Regulatorship was quite demanding as I was always the first to wake up and carrying the school all day and night, and being the last to go to bed. In the 2 years, I was the first to report back to school from vacation and the last to leave for vacation. Such was the training that became very invaluable.
How would you describe, comparatively, the ICT industry in Nigeria?
ICT is still very young in Nigeria. It has not been supported to the extent that society and businesses derive the maximum benefits from it. With a vast amount of human capital in the country, it should have been more advanced by now to the extent of generating revenue for the government and businesses. It is very conceivable to replicate Bangalore, Mumbai and Chennai here given the abundant human capital. ICT is labor intensive for the most part. Looking around, you can?t see data centers, software development centers or any meaningful Business Process Outsourcing. Nigeria should be making trillions and not billions from ICT exports if the infrastructure is developed. At the very minimum, you need excellent power supply that is uninterrupted at all times in designated development centers that will form the nucleus of any serious ICT development for export. The banks and government should extend credits to concerns that want to do business in this area on a global scale.
Is ICT being properly deployed in the country?
No. This is largely a private-sector driven sector backed by government-provided infrastructure and access to capital. None of this is in place now. For example, Unatek can come in to build 2 to 4 data centers and several other IT concerns that can drive development in this area. But, we must be sure of constant power provision and access to additional capital. Of course like every other IT company, we must have our backup power supply in place. But, backups are backups.
What is your personal impression of the American ICT industry?
It is great. It has growing beyond the imagination of the inventors, creators and developers. Productivity is at an all-time height. My Alma mater MIT has led world-wide development in this area. ICT has given the US and the world a new economy that has been extended to all parts of the globe given rise to globalization and the lift-off from poverty of many nations like India, China, the Philippines, etc. It is my hope that my native Nigeria will join the ranks of ICT exporters sooner than later.
Do you think it?s being deployed negatively or positively for most cases?
I don?t think there is any negative deployment except for private concerns that may be running IT-based pornographic businesses, etc. ICT, is an enabler of growth and a key driver for development. In this regard, more of it is better. The use for it is both personal and business. Either way, it is almost all the time helpful in different uses like Online business, social-media, business and government work tool, online education, secure online banking, transportation, bio-informatics, among others.
How ready is the world and Nigeria specifically for deployment of artificial intelligence?
Nigeria is not yet there and can?t claim to. With resource commitment, it is conceivable that artificial intelligence with the other ICT programs can be put to use in Nigeria for a variety of useful purposes.
Do you think this could help in taming insurgencies in countries like Nigeria, especially with the use of drones and micro-drones?
The developed world and some developing countries have been using it for quite a while now for a variety of purposes including tracking and fighting insurgencies. Drones for example that are used to destroy terrorist cells are ICT-operated.
How can countries like Nigeria use ICT to protect their natural resources like oil?
Bio-informatics can be used for that purpose. I am sure there are other ICT applications and knowledge domains that can be employed too.
What are Unatek?s strongest areas and where are you looking to improve?
Cyber security, infrastructure maintainance and software development. We are planning to enter the Nigerian market and build a couple of data centers, provide services to the banks, government and military Remember that we are a prime US government contractor with business awards.
What products have Unatek come out with and how are they fairing?
We have an online analyst service www.intrusiononline.net which is a subscription based service with a version being developed to be launched in a few months? time for public consumption. We also partnered with TransGlobal Business Systems to develop a CrimeProbe software that is widely used by law enforcements. We have done well here is the US providing services to 9 US government agencies and multiple State and local governments jurisdictions and commercial ventures.
How can Unatek help Nigeria and countries with similar corruption indices fight it?
We can certainly assist to fight online financial fraud ? help secure banking financial transactions and designing fraud prevention architecture for the government and others
Can Unatek provide the final solution to internet enhanced frauds (419 in Nigeria)?
Yes, because we are a leading Cyber security company. We have won to business awards in the US in the last 5 years (2007 and 2011). We have launched an online Cyber analyst product (www.intrusiononline.net) that assists governments and businesses to detect and fervent fraud. We are working with banks and the military as well.
Any platform for capacity building? And what special provisions for Nigerians?
A lot. I think with need data centers, business process outsourcing, development and Cyber security firms to mention but a few. Unatek is planning a ?Software Park? to be built in Nigeria in 2013. The good news is that the human capital is everywhere. But, we have to figure out how we can guarantee 24x7x365 power supply. If we are able to do that, companies, like Dell, IBM, Oracle, etc. will expand their operations in the country. But, we have to address the security issues first.
What lessons for Nigeria?s ICT?
Get serious and be part of the 21st century world. ICT has eliminated most of the barriers that prevented countries from developing in the 20th century and earlier. In the 21st century, the landscape has changed. Nigeria should learn from India, the Philippines, Northern Ireland, etc. Not doing so, we delay development and the potential to make money from IT. I envisage a situation where with seriousness, ICT export will be in contention as the major revenue stream with Oil export.
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