The Business Exchange: How Business Works
May 21, 2026 · 37 min · 8 segments
On this episode of the American Business Council Nigeria, Margaret Olele speaks with Samuel Diminas, CEO, Westpaq International on the importance of Global Standards, Local Capacity and the things…
I will address the first issue you raised, which is how do we maintain quality and standards? So how do we operate within the highest global standards, maintaining the same quality you would expect globally while operating in countries like Nigeria and our West Africa or African countries? There is a lopsided technological capacity because most of the Equipment and technology we utilized are not developed in Africa.
But one of the easiest ways in which the African countries are growing, in which companies within the sector are building capacity on what we do is to leverage on international alliances and partnerships.
That is very, very important because Though Nigeria is the most mature within the industry, the industry is still young compared to what you have in other areas globally.
So like our own company, as you stated when we started, we are an American-based company, which means we do have American companies.
We're still a growing industry in terms of the Nigerian operations, alliances, technical partnerships, training, and having a long-term vision on what we need to achieve with an eye on sustainable development is very important.
If I may itemize them, one of the most important is the right partnership and collaboration.
with companies that have the highest global standards, companies that have done these things for 100 years.
As you stated, our own company is just about 10 years old, so you wouldn't have the same level of structural and technological and even knowledge base, even if you can go out and employ them, you wouldn't have the same with a company that has been doing this for 100 years plus.
And when that vision is there, we could build our training capacity around that.
The company itself goes back to leadership and vision has to have in its plans and its ambitions to be a company that wants to excel, a company that wants to maintain standards, a company that wants to differentiate itself in the quality of work it does.
And if all these elements are in place, basically it's a matter of time before any company grows and becomes a company that is identified for its quality and standards, and your results will speak for itself.
But looking at it, I'm just curious, is Westpac in other countries outside of the US and Nigeria?
I will address the first issue you raised, which is how do we maintain quality and standards? So how do we operate within the highest global standards, maintaining the same quality you would expect globally while operating in countries like Nigeria and our West Africa or African countries? There is a lopsided technological capacity because most of the Equipment and technology we utilized are not developed in Africa.
But one of the easiest ways in which the African countries are growing, in which companies within the sector are building capacity on what we do is to leverage on international alliances and partnerships.
That is very, very important because Though Nigeria is the most mature within the industry, the industry is still young compared to what you have in other areas globally.
So like our own company, as you stated when we started, we are an American-based company, which means we do have American companies.
We're still a growing industry in terms of the Nigerian operations, alliances, technical partnerships, training, and having a long-term vision on what we need to achieve with an eye on sustainable development is very important.
If I may itemize them, one of the most important is the right partnership and collaboration.
with companies that have the highest global standards, companies that have done these things for 100 years.
As you stated, our own company is just about 10 years old, so you wouldn't have the same level of structural and technological and even knowledge base, even if you can go out and employ them, you wouldn't have the same with a company that has been doing this for 100 years plus.
And when that vision is there, we could build our training capacity around that.
The company itself goes back to leadership and vision has to have in its plans and its ambitions to be a company that wants to excel, a company that wants to maintain standards, a company that wants to differentiate itself in the quality of work it does.
And if all these elements are in place, basically it's a matter of time before any company grows and becomes a company that is identified for its quality and standards, and your results will speak for itself.
But looking at it, I'm just curious, is Westpac in other countries outside of the US and Nigeria?
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