When a country is in serious economic downturn it needs the sound vision of committed patriots who are ready to sacrifice their time and comfort; away from family and leisure, at the oddest of hours, all days throughout the week, throughout the months, year in year out; to turn such a country around. It turns to such men willingly or unwillingly; knowingly or unknowingly, for, without any official prodding, such men would already have taken the necessary steps to steady the drifting ship of state, anyway.

But such men have become difficult to find in a Nigeria where the social environment, along with the non-existent social infrastructure have made it Herculean to venture into any serious project at all. Yet, patriots in whom is also imbued the vision to see tomorrow, do not wait for the coast to become clear before venturing in the dark, thundering cloud to achieve what to many, may sound utopian.

Wale Ajisebutu is a man of very few words. Yet, he fits into the above group so eloquently that it is hard to encounter him and not be forced to wonder aloud that indeed, how is Nigeria so blessed that there are still such as he to be founded within our circles.

At the return of democratic rule in Nigeria in 1999, the country's entire telecom industry was bedlam; there was hardly anyone who could tell where the industry was heading. But the man of vision he is, Ajisebutu had already “seen tomorrow,” that his dear fatherland would have to rely on telecom if its economic and political as well as social aspirations to integrate back into the global comity of nations is to be achieved.

In 1997, when the confusion in the sector was reaching its zenith, in the labyrinth where everyone was practically hoping against hope, Ajisebutu applied and got a licence. His dream was to set up a telecom company that would do everything already available in the world, in Africa and in Nigeria. But he had another joker: to do many other things telecom wise, that are not already available in Nigeria, maybe a little bit in Africa; and as little bit elsewhere in the world. Isn't said of patriots that they go the extra mile to give their fatherland the unfathomable?

One would be forgiven to say he was thinking ahead of his time. Or, how else can one explain the name he chose to give the company he founded that would be the platform for him to actualise his telecom vision for Nigeria? He simply called it 21st Century Technologies Limited; this company was founded and registered in 1997 and began operation in 1999 all in the 20th Century.

However, Ajisebutu had seen the direction of world events in the 21st century; that the world would turn to information and communications technology, to keep alive. That any country without a sizeable plot on the information superhighway would be casting itself out of global reckoning; that the world would not wait for others to catch up. But the world would move whether others brace up or not. And, he, this son of Nigeria, would rather stay ahead and breast the tape along with other world leading telecom companies in the 21st century than be counted among the “also ran.”

When patriotism and a passion for perfection are combined and the meet sound business acumen propelled by an unquenchable desire to deliver the ideal and the sublime, the result is an enterprise that can stand the test of time. This is the case with Ajisebutu; and with the company he founded.

A chattered accountant by profession, Ajisebutu understands the economics of business management so well that it is almost second nature. But it was also the integrity he radiates, which is his main asset that paved the way to financial vaults that have helped him realize the dream of building a 21ST century technology company which goes by the same name as the century in which it now operates. Because telecom is big business, requiring huge investment, only those with real deep pockets venture into it. But Ajisebutu ventured into it with vision and the knack for perfection. He sought first the wisdom and integrity to do the right thing, first time, all the time. And the fruits that have been added unto him are the bounties as blessed from On High.

As a living testimony to the robustness of his dream, 21st Century Technologies became one of the very first private telephone operators in Nigeria to offer wired telephone services deploying the very dependable and reliable fibre optic. He would go on to build Nigeria's Telecom House, a complete data centre designed to carry traffic for other operators while also co-locating data for all companies, operators, banks, governments, academic institutions and indeed countries, as the case may be. This centre also boasts pride's itself as Africa's first Ku-Band Teleport. The data centre, located in Lekki, Lagos, is set to be a complete telecom shopping mall. This would go on to fulfil Ajisebutu's target of making telecom services readily available and as cheap as electricity. “Good infrastructure will enable scalable, cost effective IT capabilities to be delivered, managed, metered and purchased as a service - much as electricity and water are today,” he once said.

Ajisebutu, an optimist who believes in the viability of the Nigerian dream, also believes that it is not enough to have a dream. “If you have a dream you must be able to put in whatever it takes to realise that dream.” He has indeed done just that with 21st Century Technologies, although in his usual characteristic manner as an embodiment of humility, he does not admit he has done anything extraordinary.

“I have always had strong faith in the Nigerian economy, every hardship or bad time has the same level of opportunities. Every individual has the same chance to pick either hardship or realise the potential of this country and the underlying opportunities,” he once said.

Last year, at the now very highly reputed Nigerian Information Technology and Telecom Awards (NITTA), 21st Century won the Best Telephone Company of the Year in the fixed wired category. Neither this nor previous laudable achievements could lure Ajisebutu to slow down at the pace with which he pursues his business. For, if you look for him at home on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays, you will not find him. “I find even more convenient working at weekends and holidays; because, because during such days there is little or no interruptions,” he said.

Nigeria sure needs many of Ajisebutus; for, the challenges ahead are still daunting.

IT & Telecom Digest