One of Nigeria’s certified Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Beta Computers, has petitioned the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy over the alleged deployment of fake SPEEDSTAR PCs by contractors working with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
Beta Computers, a founding member and trustee of the Certified Computer Manufacturers of Nigeria (CCMON), is one of the local OEMs certified by the Federal Government to produce made-in-Nigeria computers. The firm has long collaborated with NITDA to drive the government’s push for increased local content in the nation’s IT industry.
In a petition dated April 3, 2025, Beta Computers’ representative, Mr. Anyaegbunam, expressed concern that the Presidential Executive Orders on patronage of Nigerian-made computers were being undermined by “illegal activities of some contractors” awarded supply contracts for locally manufactured PCs.
Anyaegbunam explained that industry stakeholders encouraged the company to escalate the issue, particularly given the ministry’s credibility under its current leadership.
He wrote: “We were encouraged to write this petition because of counsel from key stakeholders in our ecosystem as we all have high regards and nothing but good to say about your stewardship since your assumption as the minister in this very critical ministry in our country’s developmental journey.”
The petition urged NITDA to provide in writing the name of the contractor who allegedly supplied fake SPEEDSTAR PCs to a known institution, along with all other institutions the contractor claimed to have serviced, so Beta Computers could verify if counterfeit devices had also been distributed to them.
