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Emirates Gives Reasons for $500m Long-Term Investment

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Emirates team at recent event in Abuja
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Emirates Airline, a global connector of people, places and economies, has unveiled a $500 million financial investment on its wine program, to enable the award winning airline continue to serve the best wines on board.

On any given day, over 60 different wines, champagnes and ports, sourced from the best vineyards in 11 countries, are served onboard Emirates to passengers in all classes.

Representing a long-term investment of over US$500 million to date, Emirates’ wine programme is a critical component of its inflight dining experience.

As with every aspect of its service, wine selection and planning is undertaken with meticulous care.

Rather than depend on intermediary buyers, Emirates’ own team of experts has built relationships directly with some of the world’s most prestigious chateaus and vineyards to handpick and secure the wines served onboard.

“To us, wine is an experience. Our customers want to enjoy wine onboard as if they were in a fine dining restaurant. It’s not just red, white, or rosé. They are interested in where the grape comes from, the vintage, the vineyard’s heritage and so on. That is why over a decade ago, we moved away from the usual corporate procurement process and decided to take control of our own destiny,” said Sir Tim Clark, president of Emirates Airline.

Emirates has a dynamic strategy of buying wines, and an intensive programme to secure the best vintages for future consumption by buying en primeur – often before the wines are bottled and released to the market.

The airline currently has over 1.2 million bottles of wines aging in its cellar in Burgundy, France.

 Some of these vintages will only be ready for consumption in a decade’s time.

“The thing about wine is that each vintage is finite. Therefore we want to get in early to secure the best stock for our customers. Over the years, we have developed very strong relationships with the best, as well as the most promising producers in all the main wine regions. That helps open the doors for us to get the best picks. Sure, it is a big investment.

“But wine and champagne will always be an important aspect of our onboard product therefore we take a long term view. It is simply part of our rigorous planning process.  Just as we know how big our fleet will be and where these aircraft will fly, we know what wines we are going to serve in each class on a particular route in four years’ time,” said Sir Tim.

At the heart of Emirates’ cellar are wines from the Bordeaux region in France, accounting for almost half of the airline’s total wine portfolio.

With labels from France’s most prestigious vineyards including Château Lafite, Château Margaux, Château Latour, Château Haut-Brion, and Château Mouton-Rothschild, Emirates’ cellar is a wine connoisseur’s dream.

Emirates’ selection criteria not only takes into account the quality of wine and how it is paired with the food served onboard, but also how it is likely to react to altitude when served at 35,000 feet in the air.

Emirates’ customers in First Class can expect Dom Perignon champagne, one of world’s leading vintage champagnes on almost every one of our flights.

As a special treat for a limited time, we will be serving Dom Perignon 2003 Rosé on A380 flights to San Francisco and Houston in December.

The 2003 vintage was a real challenge for its creation due to extremes in weather conditions.

After an unusually harsh, dry winter, severe frost devastated the grape crop. This was followed by the hottest summer in 53 years.

The grapes that miraculously survived the frost and hail were then subject to scorching heat.

However, the grapes harvested were mature and healthy, comparable to those of the legendary 1947, 1959 and 1976 harvests.

The resulting intensity is unique and paradoxical, hovering between austerity and generosity.


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Krishnan Exits Africa Data Centre to Embark of Professional Chapter

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Dr. Krishnan Ranganath, the hitherto Regional Executive – West Africa at Africa Data Centres (ADC), Africa’s largest network of interconnected, carrier- and cloud-neutral data centre facilities, has moved on from the company after half a decade of record growth.

This was confirmed in a LinkedIn post, where he noted that after more than five years of transformative leadership, he is signing off to embark on a new professional chapter.

Reflecting on his tenure, Dr. Ranganath noted that the journey was defined by resilience and a commitment to building infrastructure designed for the future.

“What started as a mission to navigate the complexities of a new market has evolved into a chapter of immense growth. We didn’t just build data centres; we built the foundation for West Africa’s digital future. I am immensely proud of the culture of operational excellence we’ve fostered and the milestones we have achieved together,” Dr. Ranganath said in a message to our inquiry.

Dr. Ranganath joined ADC during a pivotal era, tasked with establishing the brand as a formidable challenger in the competitive West African market. Under his guidance, the region evolved from a bold experiment into a definitive powerhouse of digital infrastructure, moving from the installation of its first rack to becoming a trusted, well-established partner in the colocation and cloud services space.

During his five-year leadership, Dr. Ranganath managed several key strategic pillars. He led market entry and expansion by navigating complex regulatory and environmental landscapes to turn regional challenges into competitive advantages. He also drove infrastructure excellence by scaling operations from foundational setups into a high-capacity, well-established powerhouse. Finally, he provided cultural leadership by building a high-performance team from the ground up that balanced strategic breakthrough with a collaborative, human-centric work environment.

In the emotionally-laced message, Dr. Ranganath extended his gratitude to the ADC team, describing them as the heartbeat of the company’s success in West Africa. “To my team and colleagues: thank you for the late nights and the strategic breakthroughs that fueled our progress. I leave with great memories and a sharp focus on what’s next.”

While Dr. Ranganath has not yet revealed his next destination, he encouraged his professional network and industry stakeholders to stay tuned for the announcement of his upcoming ventures.


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Galaxy Backbone Announces Expansion of GOVMAIL to Over 150,000 Accounts

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Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB), Nigeria’s leading ICT infrastructure provider to the federal government, has announced the growth of the official GOVMAIL platform to over 150,000 active accounts used by workers across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

In a statement by Chidi Okpala, Head of Corporate Communications, GBB described GOVMAIL as a secure, centralized email system launched by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to modernize public service workflows and cut reliance on paper and external emails.

Okpala said the platform supports professional, auditable communication across government arms, aligning with the digital transformation agenda.

Head of the Civil Service, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, highlighted GOVMAIL’s role in late 2025, noting over 100,000 accounts created under a paperless policy to shift from traditional correspondence to secure digital channels.

GBB emphasized that GOVMAIL operates on sovereign local infrastructure with enterprise-grade cybersecurity, centralized identity management, and compliance with national data protection standards for enhanced accountability and efficiency.

The platform complements GBB’s infrastructure, including Tier III and IV Data Centres, National Fibre Backbone, Security Operations Centre (SOC), and Network Operations Centre (NOC), all supporting the government’s digital economy strategy.

To boost adoption, GBB is partnering with MDAs to onboard remaining staff quickly, ensuring all public servants have access to these tools for efficient inter-agency communication.

“Galaxy Backbone remains committed to sustaining this progress and providing support to advance Nigeria’s digital public service ecosystem,” the statement added.


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Leo Stan Ekeh at 70; thanks Tinubu, Obasanjo, Nigerians, Global Tech Community

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Leo Stan Ekeh, Chairman of Zinox Group and Africa’s foremost digital disruptor, has expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and former President and African statesman, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, for their goodwill messages and prayers on his birthday.

Leo Stan Ekeh at 70; thanks Tinubu, Obasanjo, Nigerians, Global Tech Community

Ekeh, who turned 70 on Sunday, February 22, also extended gratitude to governors; former governors, including Babatunde Raji Fashola, former governor of Lagos state; National Assembly members; captains of industries, members of the global tech community, some of whom sent delegations to his house aside virtual goodwill messages sent from across the globe; royal fathers and the media.

In a post-birthday prayer and thanksgiving meeting with some members of the ICT media in his Ikoyi residence at the weekend, Ekeh said he was overwhelmed by the deluge of good wishes from Nigerians of all tribes and tongues.

Ekeh reflected on his relationship with President Tinubu over the past decades, describing Tinubu as a trustworthy and loyal friend who does not hesitate to make sacrifices for the good of the people he leads.

“President Tinubu has been my supporter long before I launched Zinox. He has always shown brotherly love,” he recalled.

He mentioned Mr. Sam Amuka, publisher of Vanguard newspapers; Lt. General T.Y Danjuma (retd), Founder, South Atlantic Petroleum; and Pa Obafemi Awolowo’s family as some of the many Nigerians with established companies who “experienced me and trusted me in the early days of my business life, and I didn’t disappoint”.

Recounting how Nigerians celebrated him on his birthday, he said: “In all my years, I have never seen such a show of love from Nigerians via different communications channels, from calls to social media. I was deeply touched by the kindred spirit of Nigerians. It tells me one thing: Nigerians are caring and loving people, and they appreciate quality and value-driven impact.

“I want to use this medium to say ‘thank you’ to those who sent me messages of goodwill, prayers through different communication platforms that I could not immediately acknowledge. I appreciate you all,” he said.

It will be recalled that President Tinubu while celebrating Ekeh on his birthday described him as one of “Nigeria’s pioneering innovators in the information technology sector.”

The President also commended Ekeh for his “commitment to promoting the Nigerian brand and creating opportunities for young Nigerians,” amongst his other achievements in the tech sector.

President Obasanjo, accompanied by his wife, Chief (Mrs.) Bola Obasanjo, who visited Ekeh to pray for him, described Ekeh as a “very kind man and an achiever who inspired many youths at a critical point in Nigeria’s information technology history.” He also prayed for the Zinox Group boss to live for 100 years and beyond.

As a sitting President, Obasanjo honoured Ekeh as an Icon of Hope and a role model for Nigerian youths on October 1st, 2001, and subsequently with the national honour of the Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR).

Others who joined Obasanjo in honouring Ekeh were former Lagos state governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola and his wife, former INEC Chairman, Professor Maurice Iwu and his wife, Chairman of MTN, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe and his wife; Mr. Atedo Peterside, Founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank and his wife; Chairman of Fidelity Bank, Mrs. Amaka Onwughalu and her husband; Managing Director Fidelity Bank, Dr. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe; Mr. Udoma Udo-Udoma, Chairman Seplat Energy and his wife; Mr. Sam Amuka; Prof Anya O. Anya; Mr. Chris Uwaje, tech policy expert and his wife; Mr. John Momoh, Chairman of Channels Media Group and his wife; Mr and Mrs Walter, CEO of Providus bank, Mr. Roosevelt Ogbonna, group CEO of Access bank, Mrs. Victoria Ajayi, CEO of TVC  Communications and her husband; Mrs. Nkeiru Anumudu, CEO of Globe Motors, secondary school mates of Ekeh including Charles Oputa (Charly Boy) who came with his wife; Leo Stan’s elder brother HRM Eze George Ekeh (aka Saint George), the traditional ruler Ishi Ubomiri Autonomous Community in Imo state;  representatives of multinationals with whom  he has partnered all through the years;  among


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