Last month, Google launched Android One in Africa in partnership with Infinix Mobility, MTN and ecommerce giant Jumia. The Africa launch rides on the success of the Android One program, especially in India and other parts of the world.

In an exclusive interview with ITWeb Africa, Caesar Sengupta, VP Product Management at Google, speaks about the impact Android One is expected to have in Nigeria and other parts of Africa, as well as Google's goal of bringing the next one billion people online.

Paul Adepoju: Android One has been launched in India and elsewhere for quite some time now, so why did it take Google that long to bring Android One to Africa?

Caesar Sengupta: The world is a large space and Android One is an ecosystem and we need to put programs together in each market with partners. We've now launched in about ten countries and we are bringing Android One to Africa first with Nigeria in partnership with Infinix, MTN and Jumia.

We will use Nigeria as a springboard to the rest of Africa. Soon after the Nigeria launch, Android One will be launched in Kenya, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Egypt and Morocco, and thereafter the UAE and Saudi Arabia. It takes time to get the right partners but once you have the right people you can move fast.

Paul Adepoju: How does Android One contribute to Google's goal of bringing more people online?

Caesar Sengupta: Android One is a very important part of that because we (in Google) are in the business of building apps and platforms for users, but the devices people use to access these apps and platforms, for us, are very important. Your internet experience is greatly determined by the quality of devices you have in your hands.

When I visited the Computer Village in Lagos, I found out people are buying new phones with old operating systems in them and this made me sad. It's kind of tragic. So we put together the Android One program to work with partners to bring the latest version of Android to our users as soon as it's released.

On Infinix Hot 2 you will get the Lollipop, but most importantly, when our new version of Android - which we call the Marshmallow - is released, our users will get that as update from Infinix and the phone will keep getting better.

Through this we are hoping to start getting good devices in the hands of the next billion people and we will continue to work to introduce features that are best for specific markets. We will continue to work on building new products where necessary or working with partners.

Paul Adepoju: What is Android One's projected impact on smartphone penetration in Africa?

Caesar Sengupta: Android One is part of a broader Android ecosystem. With Android One we are getting OEMs to get the latest version of Android to users. If you look at the huge penetration of smartphones, most of them are driven by Android and in most cases, Android is really enabling the creation of a smartphone ecosystem; it is also enabling our partners to bring great devices all round the world and not just in Africa.

Paul Adepoju: Why Infinix and not Samsung?

Caesar Sengupta: Samsung is a very important partner for us and we are working together on a number of many products globally. But in the case of Android One, we wanted to work with a partner that was local and understood the dynamics of the local market that could help us learn a lot about the local market. For that, Infinix fit the bill perfectly and we are very happy to be working with them, and very closely with Samsung too.

Paul Adepoju: What is the prospect for Google's partnership with Infinix and other partners in Nigeria?

Caesar Sengupta: I hope to be able to bring more devices to many countries ... and beyond the partnership, I hope we learn a lot about these markets and to be able to bring not just hardware products, but also apps and services that we are able to customise for Africa and for Nigeria.

Paul Adepoju: How would you describe your experience in Nigeria?

Caesar Sengupta: It has been overwhelming. The energy and excitement in Nigeria are infectious. Lagos is thriving with life, and wherever you go you will see people excited and energetic – trying to do stuff. This is quite inspiring.