3 days Ago By Olorundare Enimola
Alhaji Chief Wale Sonaike, Deputy Managing Director, Courteville Business Solutions PLC, a Company involved with the provision of e-solution to the transportation sector and other businesses through its innovative Online Applications. In this interview with OLORUNDARE ENIMOLA, Alhaji Sonaike spoke on the impact of the Company’s AutoReg innovation that has helped State Governments and Federal Agencies in Automating every aspect of Motor Vehicle Administrations. Excerpts; Why are you into what you are doing? Our vision as a company is to be a globally accepted business solutions company supplying unique services with locally developed innovations.
This is our inspiration, and we are on this trajectory through our innovative products. We are committed to being a leading Business Solutions Company in Africa. When was the organization started, and what was it out to introduce, correct or improve in the Society? Is it not replicating what others are doing? What is unique about your own brand? Unique technology and innovative edge? You will agree with me that a company that set up as an e-solutions provider over 18 years ago is without doubt a front runner and indeed our products are truly leading-edge, innovative and relevant.
As a matter of fact, we have Patent Rights on all our applications. CBS was established in Year 2005 as a consulting firm specialized in process re-engineering for efficiency and productivity. In the course of its engagements, it ventured into the development of applications to complement the services offered to her clients.
The Company made an incursion into the public sector through the process reengineering of the Motor Vehicle Administration process through its flagship product known as the AutoRegTM . This application was pioneered in Lagos State through the Motor Vehicle Administration Agency (MVAA). Process reengineering through automation and e- solution is the special area of skill of the organization.
And the company set out to impact on the Private and Public sectors by creating leading edge, and innovative applications that transform processes for maximum efficiency, effectiveness and other values. Over the past 18 years, the Company has become a brand name in this regard, with milestone award winning achievements particularly in the public sector. It is appropriate to assert that we set out to transform the society through the digitalization of processes for enhanced value to stakeholders.
But if you say others are replicating what we do, we will agree with you on thatparticularly as Patents Rights are carelessly infringed upon in our country. The uniqueness of our product and applications is to the effect that they are indigenous and tailored to the minutest requirement of our clients. We bring into our products the kind of flexibility that enables our clients to achieve maximum value and affordability and seamless integration into their existing processes.
How effective is this technology, how does it work and how can other States Governments benefit or appropriate the technology like Lagos State? Lagos is quite ahead of other States in the adoption of technology to deliver public service since they embrace automation process some three decades ago, therefore, it was easier for the commencement of AutoReg as a pioneer State. However, many more States have followed in their footsteps as many more States are in automated services. Courteville currently works in 22 States which is an evidence of wide spread adoption.
For better collaborative efforts, the various States where we work have consented to data upload to a national Vehicle Information System (NVIS) managed by FRSC for ease of management, verifications and enforcement of compliance on our roads. In addition to that, we, as a leading technology driven company developed the first mobile AutoReg Inspector, a hand held device that allows ease of verifications of vehicle details from the NVIS as currently in used by all enforcement agencies of government, be it FRSC, VIS, Police or even LASTMA in Lagos. Furthermore, the traffic offenders are easily captured using the AutoReg business solutions either for expired documents or traffic issues or other road non -compliances by offenders.
It is worthy to note that the AutoReg platform has become a veritable platform for even the Insurance industry for it Third Party Policy compliance amongst many more benefits. Therefore, any State not on AutoReg is lagging behind because we even recover stolen vehicles on our platform as well as elimination of double vehicle registration and confirmation of vehicle chassis along International standards before registrations are carried out. What is the level of acceptability and adaptability to the user’s needs? Excellent I will say.
Although a more objective rating is to be done by the users. But considering that our popular applications have been in the market for over 15 years suggests a high level of acceptability and relevance. Like I mentioned earlier, our applications are bespoke in nature to suit the needs of the peculiarities of each user.
To that extent, we can say our applications are adaptable and flexible. We hear of the several cases of highway kidnappings, robberies, crashes, car thefts, and related crimes, how could this be stemmed using hi-tech applications? It is not usually advisable to discuss the intricacies of strategies to adopt to combat crimes on public forum. This is for obvious reasons of disclosure, when you make such open disclosures, the criminals are inadvertently armed with options of a response.
But you are right in saying that hi-tech is the way to go as being deployed in developed countries for similar purposes. But generally the digitalization of surveillance and deployment of tracking technology is the right way to go. In Lagos state specifically, we have cases also of people being robbed in traffic gridlocks, including those in both private and commercial vehicles, while some are attacked for boarding some commercial vehicles commonly called “one chance”.
How do you think Internet of Things IOT is going to help in curbing these kind of crime? The digitalization approach to surveillance will be an appropriate strategy to adopt. Here we can combine the use of CCTV cameras and use of drones for effective coverage. There is also the need for proper digital registration of all vehicles both private and commercial.
Visibly displayed permits of driver’s details andregistration also advisable for commercial transports, which is part of what we are offering through our AutoReg Application. What applications will you be proposing for travelling or logistic trucks and companies? A tracking device is the generic application for this purpose and there are different brands available. The tracking technology is fully developed and widely adopted by major players in the sector.
How would you describe the App payment system for commuters, especially as its used in Lagos State, would you say its widely utilized by commuters, do you think this can be expanded to cover the entire spectrum of commuting Services by private operators across board and how can this be achieved? Based on observation, the applications developed by Lagos State is already adopted by commuters and systematically integrated into the cashless system. The cowrie card is currently deployed, but in the future, it should be possible to use other brands of debit cards to create needed flexibility. What are the challenges peculiar to your day-to-day operations and what are you doing to mitigate or eradicate them? Different applications and sectors have peculiarities of challenges.
In Motor Vehicle Administration and digitalization for instance, we are still confronted with the following challenges; a. Slow adoption of technology by some sub-nationals who have been slow or have refused to embrace the transition to electronic technology for process engineering. b.
Infringements on Patent Rights. Issues around abuse of intellectual properties is a big hindrance to innovators. c.
The impact of competing products cannot be ignored. d. Reluctance of Tax-payers to renew their vehicle license without prompting by law enforcement agents is another obstacle.
e. Cyber threat also exists. These are business challenges and we continue to address them as we go along, whilst we seek for new opportunities at the same time.
What further suggestions and advice would you like to give the government or the general public in the digitalization of Nigeria’s transportation system? We only need to look at the benefits of digitalization in general to be convinced of the need for an urgent digital transition across all socio and economic facets, not only in transportation systems alone. For instance; a. We are in the global era of digitalization and no continent or country should be left behind.
b. Efficiency through process re-engineering is best established with digitalization. c.
Convenience and increased productivity is severally proven. d. Internet of Things (Artificial Intelligence) rides on the back of digitalization.
e. Seamless interaction between operations and payment systems is established through digitalization. f.
Enhanced documentation, records, storage, audit, audit trails are enhanced by digitalization. g. Electronic ticketing systems are established on digitalization.
h. Strategic route planning, resource optimization etc are facilitated with digitalization. The list is endless.
Our advice will be for the public sector to increase the pace of digitalization so that the gap between that sector and the private sector in digitalization is narrowed. As established consultants to the public sector, we are willing to do more in terms of driving digital penetration in the public sector..
