Orla Africa: The startup redefining access to tech in Nigeria

As the Nigerian tech industry becomes more and more saturated with different startup companies headed by mostly tech savvy young people, Orla Africa is the new tech company on the horizon focused on creating a sustainable, affordable and impactful ecosystem, which aims to solve the gadget problem in Nigeria.

The company was born out of the desire to make tech more accessible and affordable to Nigerians by building a reliable supply chain of pre-owned and renewed gadgets.

As the poverty headquarters of the world with about 100 million people living in abject poverty and 4 in 10 Nigerians living below the national poverty line of $1.9 per day according to World Bank data, Orla Africa aims to make technology more accessible and affordable to a wider audience by offering preowned and renewed devices at affordable prices.

In the words of the company’s Chief Innovation Officer, Kosiso Asogwa, “Orla Africa seeks to solve the problem of limited access to affordable, quality tech gadgets for the common people. By offering pre-owned and renewed devices at affordable prices, Orla Africa aims to make technology more accessible to a wider audience”.

In addition, Orla Africa’s major goal is also to maintain environmental sustainability and curb electronic waste. And they hope to achieve this by promoting the reuse and refurbishment of gadgets, contributing to a more sustainable future.

“We are committed to ensuring the quality and authenticity of the products while maintaining affordability through meticulous sourcing, establishing partnerships with trusted suppliers, and implementing rigorous quality control measures”, Mr Asogwa said.

The tech industry in Nigeria though a budding one is quite competitive, with a plethora of start-ups multiplying by the day, hence standing out can seem a sticky wicket for most fledgling tech companies.

“What do we do to be unique from every other tech brand?”, Chidiebere Kalu the officer in charge of the company’s communication asked rhetorically. “This required innovative marketing strategies, building brand recognition, and proving our value proposition to our beloved customers”, Mr Kalu explained further.

As is the case with any innovation of this nature, Orla Africa has had its own share of hurdles and quagmire on the way, especially as concerns gaining momentum and swimming adrift the tides of the harsh economic realities in Nigeria. But as is expected of any venture that is expected to last of the long term, the team running Orla Africa which is built on its knowledge and experience in offering tech solutions to individuals and enterprises over the years, are optimistic enough to see every challenge as an opportunity to grow.

“Scaling operations and expanding our reach is going to be yet another complex undertaking. Growing the customer base, establishing a strong online presence, and managing logistics efficiently required strategic planning, resource allocation, and adapting to evolving market dynamics. But we remain resolute and passionate as we move closer to our goals”, Mr Asogwa reiterated enthusiastically.

Just recently, Orla Africa has added a very attractive feature to their site, and that is the “referral bonus feature”.

“As we all know, Nigeria is a poor country and we are poised on doing everything within our power to help our fellow Nigerians survive these hard times”, Emmanuel Eze, co-founder explained. “That’s why we added the referral bonus feature whereby once you refer a prospective buyer to buy any gadget from Orla using a referral link generated from the website, you automatically earn five thousand Naira. It’s our own little way of giving back to our loyal customer base”

“Our mission is simple: reshape the industry, make a positive environmental difference and empower individuals through our innovative approach to renewed gadgets”, another co-founder, Julius Ngwu added.

As more and more preowned gadgets arrive for sale at the Orla Africa online store, it is safe to say that exciting times are ahead for gadget lovers in Nigeria. And there is no gainsaying that this is a revolution that is worth joining by all and sundry.