Miatta D.Efe-Oghene, MD I Matrix 101

She is an accomplished administrator who, for many years worked several years in Nigeria, with Blue-chip companies like British Airways, Honeywell and MoneyGram International. She excelled herself in these organizations, reaching her peak, due to her sterling qualities to duties. Back home to Sierra Leone in 2010, she joined Elixir Group as the General Manager. During this period, she designed, executed and managed the set up of Elixir Group and its unit companies. In 2011, she was giving the responsibility of directing the logistic sub-unit of the Group, I matrix 101, as its Managing Director. Miatta D. Efe-Oghene has today proved her worth. Presently, the company is a highly profitable indigenous logistic company, rated as among the top-ten companies in Sierra Leone, with key clients in the Mining Industry and the NGO Community. She spoke to ABUBAKAR HASHIM on key issues in the logistic sector in the Sierra Leone economy

You will be 10 years in a couple of months. What are your achievements and challenges so far?

Our greatest achievement is growing the company into a major player in the industry and increase in employees from 15 to 30. The number might be quite negligible compared to other companies. However, at Imatrix101, we pride ourselves in the quality of our staff and we believe a small team with all the right skills would go a long way in enhancing our efficiency and providing ample customer satisfaction. Hence we focus on development and constant review of staff performance. We have extended our client base both nationally and Internationally.

We have set up our own shipping arm in addition to our clearing and forwarding department. We are quite competitive and we are holding our own with the more traditional shipping companies.

Our main challenges center mainly on the use of technology. Most steps and phases of clearing and forwarding can be done through the use of the appropriate software, for example, employing Asycuda fully. All submissions, checks and calculations can be done from a computer at the office, leaving only the physical checks if required. This greatly reduces the clearing time and saves millions on demurrage charges and port rent.

We have purchased the relevant software in our office and we are currently using this tool for all sea freight transactions. Unfortunately, we are unable to do the same for airfreight and road freight consignment, which has proven to be quite challenging and currently causes unnecessarily delays in the clearing process. We hope this aspect will be addressed as soon as possible.

What is your vision, in the foreseeable future in the logistics sector?

Our vision would be to establish branches in all the major cities in the country and also to set up our own offices in Liberia, Nigeria, Ghana and Belgium. Also we are keen on creating a courier arm to complement the rest of our services.

Do you offer similar services in other African countries?

Yes, we have established strategic partnerships and several affiliate partners in several countries and deliver the same services through these mediums. These partners range from freight forwarding, haulage and business management expertise. This in turn means we serve as a one-stop shop – for all our clients’ requirements.

How does the immediate future look like in the logistics sector in the Sierra Leonean economy?

The logistics sector is set to grow, the advantage being that for as long as the country relies mainly on imports, logistics will thrive. Also, with the emphasis on the extractive industries, logistics is a major factor in the production cycles both in terms of import and export.