Leo Stan Ekeh: The IT King of Africa

The name Leo Stan Ekeh should be known to both the young and old; perhaps due to the industry he happens to be a major player in. Leo is probably the biggest name from black Africa as far as ICT is concerned.

His company Zinox Technologies Limited is a game-changer for the continent. With interest in ICT solutions, manufacture and distribution of computer hardware and commerce his contributions to humanity are worth mentioning.

Using his wealth of experience and financial muscle Leo a today championing a course to drastically reduce unemployment in Imo state. His vision to provide quality education and entrepreneurship skills led to the creation of the Imo Wealth Project.

This project is expected to generate employment opportunities for more than 10,000 youths which he has envisioned to spiral with a positive ripple effect. No doubt the impact of his numerous business and philanthropic contributions to humanity is exemplary, classic and should be modelled.

Brief History

Leonard Stanley Ekeh shortened to “Leo Stan” was born on February 22, 1956 in the sleepy town of Ubomiri Mbaitoli in Imo State. His parents were quite educated as his father was a dietitian while his mother was a nurse. The family was relatively large as he had three brother and two sisters.

After his primary education he preceded to Holy Ghost College, Owerri for his secondary education. It’s fascinating and intriguing to note that instead of going to the United Kingdom or the United States for his tertiary education. This was the norm at that time as it still is today. However the circumstances surrounding his travel to India for studies is worth mentioning.

Just after sitting for UME as it was then known as he gained admission into a university in Nigeria. Unfortunately, he had an accident which kept him in the hospital for three months. By the time he was discharged from the hospital the duration to pay acceptance fee had elapsed and thus missed his admission.

Frustrated and confused as what to do next, he got an invitation from a friend based in India.  His friend encouraged and convinced him to make the trip to India.

Leo hearkened and applied and gained admission into Punjab University where he obtained a degree in Economics. It was in India that he met the lady that eventually became his wife. She was also a Nigerian student studying mathematics. His wife is presently runs a company, TechDistribution; the biggest ICT distribution company in Sub-Saharan Africa.

According to him he believes his study in India played an important role in his career and passion for entrepreneurship.

Afterwards he moved to Ireland where he went for a post-graduate in Computer Science at the Cork City University. It was here in Ireland that his entrepreneurial spark was ignited. He also earned an MSc in Risk Management from the University of Nottingham. His passion to have a better understanding of laws guiding businesses prompted him to enroll for an LLM in Business Law.

However, along the path the decision to invest in sitting for the final exams or launching his business came up. Leo wisely chose the latter path which today has metamorphosed into one of the biggest brands from Africa in the ICT industry.

The decision to jettison taking his final exams was done with the knowledge of his parents. Fortunately by the time they got to know about the risky decision he took, the company was already on the path to success.

Zinox Technologies

The first company he started; Task Systems Limited from the word go, was a success. He recalls that a day after the business was launched the very first customer they got made a purchase products worth $35,000. Subsequent orders that came also were remarkably that within a year of operations the company was already recording profits.

As far as the ICT space is concerned in Africa, Zinox computers as an African brand leads the way while others follow. The visionary leadership of Leo Stan Ekeh in the industry has been remarkable and extraordinary.

Zinox Technologies was later founded in 2001 to manufacture computers. Zinox Technologies holds the record as the first company to manufacture and distribute computers in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Zinox computers is the first company to obtain the WHQL certification and by five years also attained the NIS ISO 2000: 9001 QMS Certification. A rare fate to attain for an African brand in the ICT industry.

It is instructive to note that the ICT industry is particularly led by more technologically advanced nations, nonetheless Zinox has continued to thrive.

The company had a big break when it came to the rescue of the Nigerian governments during the elections of 2004. Zinox was able to deliver over 12, 000 computers and 80, 000 direct capturing machines to INEC for the 2004 elections in record time.

Other Business Interest

With his visionary leadership Leo Stan Ekeh is solidly on the path to becoming Africa’s biggest name in the ICT sector.

He expanded has business interest in January 2018 when he defeated other contenders to acquire the e-commerce giant; Konga. The purchase was made at a time the Nigerian interest in online purchase was still weak.

Konga.com is one of the biggest players in the e-commerce sectors in Africa. There are claims Konga was bought for $10 million dollars which undeniably cheap for a company of that magnitude. Konga has three subsidiaries KOS-delivery, KongaPay and Konga.com.

Leo and his team are presently working round the clock to make Konga a top brand in the industry through innovation and an exceptional delivery service.

KongaPay is being re-positioned into a premium payment platform for the benefit of businesses and individuals in the financial ecosystem.

The smart move of leading a delegation of Konga executives to the London where they signed partnership deals with Bibimoney; a leading UK-based firm. This will enable Bibimoney expand access to financial inclusion in Nigeria.

With this new arrangement KongaPay is fast dominating the fintech space in Nigeria. Its subscriber base has grown to more than five million within a short period of time.

Being the leading figure in the ICT sector has placed him on an advantaged position and has brought him enormous wealth. Today he is one of the wealthiest men in Nigeria with a net worth of close to a $1 billion.

He got married to his lovely wife Mrs. Chioma in 1986 and together they have five children.

Besides leading the ICT sector, Leo Stan is pursuing an agenda to improve and promote practical knowledge in the field. He is driving this with the founding of Leo Stan Ekeh Foundation (LSEF). The LSEF is a non-governmental Organization frequently organizes programs to educate entrepreneurs with requisite knowledge needed to succeed.

The Imo Wealth Project is presently a talking point in Imo State as the project is also aimed at creating jobs for citizens of the state. The project will help entrepreneurs grow their business through the acquisition of relevant knowledge and access to interest-free loans.

In years to come this project will place Imo State and adjoining state on a higher pedestal comparative to other states.

Lessons to Learn

The story of Leo Stan Ekeh is particularly striking and unusual. Designing and building computers is so to speak the exclusive reserve of technologically advanced nations. Nigeria and Africa generally is not classified in the comity of technologically advanced nations.

However Leo de-mystified that belief, he broke the barriers and paved way for others to follow. He is a pacesetter as far as the ICT space is concerned in Africa. And as a pacesetter he is reaping the rewards.

Become a pacesetter, identify a need and provide solutions to address the need. The internet is presently going through a revolution. Join the moving train by learning a tech skill that will unleash your creativity.

By following the trend you stand the chance of being a pioneer. The internet is awash with billions of information on practically any niche you want to delve into.

Leo did not allow the complex nature of ICT intimidate or deter him from trying. Today Zinox has achieved recognition as his products are widely acceptable globally.

Aim for excellence right from the onset of your venture just like Leo. Zinox acquired all the certifications needed which confirmed the quality of his products. It really does matter the nature of your business getting it right from the start always pays off in the long-run.

Finally share you wealth, experience and knowledge with the younger generation. His modern ICT facility in Imo State will definitely unleash an unprecedented economic and technological revolution. He has been at the fore-front of sharing his ideas and educating the next generation on the opportunities ICT holds for the future.

He is to the continent what Steve Jobs was to the world during his stay in earth. Leo Stan Ekeh can also be described as the Bill Gates of Africa. Certainly Leo Stan Ekeh is a blessing that ought to be protected, revered and honoured.

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