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Ekeh, Zinox Boss Says He is a Digital Orphan

Published

10 years ago

August 24, 2015

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Leo Stan Ekeh, Africa’s foremost digital entrepreneur, has attributed his numerous pioneering efforts and continued relevance over the past 29 years in the technology sector to God and hard work, while sensationally declaring himself an orphan of sorts in the business world.

Ekeh who delivered an incisive talk to select postgraduate students and aspiring entrepreneurs in Dubai Marina, UAE on the sidelines of a business trip recently shared tips on how to be a success in Africa’s challenging business terrain, with its increasing difficulty to forecast trends.

In his opinion, the best way to bring home to the participants the multi-faceted dimensions of being an entrepreneur in Africa is by using himself as a case study.

“Venturing into entrepreneurship requires a determination to take pains before pleasure. Hence, an aspiring entrepreneur must see himself not only an only child but also a Field Marshall in the Army who will have to face and conquer many creative wars. Although my parents are late, I still have siblings. However, I see myself as an orphan in the digital business world as my success tools remain the dependence and reliance on God and hard work.”

Taking the participants on a trip down memory lane with experiences from his beginnings, Ekeh noted that business success begins from childhood as the decisions one takes in that stage of one’s life go a long way in shaping the future.

“Success in business as an entrepreneur is not down to serendipity or a chance occurrence. It begins from childhood: who you want to be, personal discomforts or sacrifices you are willing to take in order to build a strong foundation for your business destination in the near future. That is why elders could see a child and say this child shall be successful in future.

As a young child growing up, I had taken a decision to abstain from alcohol and cigarettes because as an entrepreneur, you are bound to encounter betrayal from those who should know better and such habits would have derailed me, especially in times of depression. As an entrepreneur, you could easily become a drunk or drug addict if you are not careful. Most successful entrepreneurs are in the real sense loners as this habit gradually builds up based on experiences of betrayal borne over the years.”

While declaring that the 21st century does not require collateral to build wealth, Ekeh identified integrity as the biggest collateral he had relied on in his over 29 years of outstanding achievements. He noted that as a Research and Development entrepreneur, there is no collateral to position other than integrity which was all he had to offer.

“My strategy from childhood as a poor fellow was to cause disruptions hence the decision to venture into technology which allows room for constant innovation. Nevertheless, I have always held fast to integrity as my biggest collateral. This has gone a long way in helping me gain the confidence of various multinational partners we do business with. Added to this is the over 18 hours I put in every day together with my wife which has helped us build the business to its present status. I have discovered the only way I can sustain my dominance in the market place is through constant innovation and this is tied to sleeping less and eating healthy. It is important that in that hunger to be successful, you institute strong auditable system and structure which sustain your business.

In Africa, you have a lot of portfolio billionaires who are also classified as entrepreneurs. These are publicly perceived billionaires created over night by their respective governments based on political connections. Some of these people don’t have offices not to talk of accountants and HR executives. Avoid these people because they end with the government in power. You have been trained and exposed to be better than all present billionaires and the future is better than today because you have less clannish burden waiting for you plus you have age on your side.”

Ekeh, who counseled the participants to exercise caution with trust, while looking out for the gaps in business which could lead to insolvency, also affirms that success comes with various pitfalls including malicious attacks and blackmail from competition and other faceless individuals.

“I have faced numerous blackmails and campaigns of calumny from various quarters, even from people who have no offices and are just out to rubbish my name. This is part of the problems we have in Africa. However, I urge you all to see these as part of the perks of being successful as no one throws stones at an unripe mango. My happiness stems from the fact that despite all these, a few people still appreciate quality and integrity, hence I urge you all to remain on the path of worthy greatness. In all the accolades I have received, two of them remain dear to me: the Icon of Hope award presented to me by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Nigeria’s Independence Day, October 1st 2002 and my selection by the EFCC as Special Personality to cut the 5th Anniversary stamp as a worthy Nigerian. These are some of the things that keep me going,” he enthused.

Ekeh whose Zinox Technologies has deployed some of the biggest ICT projects in the country, charged the participants to leverage on the limitless opportunities on the continent to create and sustain wealth, while advising them on the need to take street-wise decisions such as avoiding excess bank loans and working hard to achieve ownership of their office space and personal residences to avoid competitors taking advantage of these to cause disruption in their lives.

He closed by stating that every entrepreneur has a divine call from God to fulfill on earth in order to make heaven.

According to Ekeh, his own call is to create thousands of creative and futuristic jobs in Africa.

“Though I have not had the greatest support of my government to achieve this, but I assure you, I am almost at the point of realizing this and this would be soon as I have found a most creative platform to achieve it and I assure before I retire soon, I shall support platforms that help me achieve this ambition. It is, therefore, important that in that ultra-ambition to create wealth you realize early what that special call from God is all about and try to fulfil them on earth,” he concluded.

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NIGCOMSAT Adopts Government’s Performance System

Published

18 hours ago

January 28, 2026

Ebere Melum-Nwogbo

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Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) Ltd, in a strategic move to modernise its operations and foster a results-oriented workforce, has officially adopted the Federal Government’s Performance Management System (PMS).

NIGCOMSAT Adopts Government’s Performance System

The initiative, aimed at driving efficiency and institutionalising accountability, was marked by an intensive staff training program designed to align the agency’s operations with national performance goals and the Presidency’s vision for a digital-first public sector.

According to a statement from Stephen Kwande, the Agency’s acting head of Corporate Affairs, “the transition to PMS is a departure from historical evaluation methods. The new system is designed to provide real-time performance tracking and instill a stronger work ethic across all directorates”.

Welcoming participants, Mrs. Jane Nkechi Egerton-Idehen, managing director/CEO of NIGCOMSAT, represented by Abiodun Attah, executive diirector, Technical Services, described the adoption as “long overdue.”

She emphasised that the system is critical for ensuring that NIGCOMSAT contributes effectively to Nigeria’s broader digital economy targets.

In her opening remarks, Mrs. Chinwe Udogu, general manager, Human Resources Management, expressed NIGCOMSAT’s enthusiasm for the program, urging staff to dedicate themselves fully to the three-day training.

She noted that the exercise was pivotal in repositioning the company to achieve its highest aspirations.

The training consultant, Mrs. Njoku Chioma, said the program is expected to drive culture change, automate work processes, and strengthen institutional performance.

The three-day training, jointly organised by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation and NIGCOMSAT Management, covers key themes including:

• Overview of the FCSSI25 as an institutional performance-driven Federal Civil/Public Service

• Service culture and workplace attitude in the Nigerian public sector

• Implementation of the Performance Management System in NIGCOMSAT

• Application of Artificial Intelligence tools to enhance performance in the Nigerian public sector

The move comes at a time when NIGCOMSAT is expanding its footprint, with recent initiatives like the 2026 SpaceTech Accelerator Programme and partnerships for grassroots digital skills training.

By strengthening its internal management framework, the agency aims to ensure that its technical advancements in satellite technology are matched by an equally efficient administrative engine.

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Nearly 90% of Organizations Prefer Outsourced or Hybrid Models for their SOC

Published

22 hours ago

January 27, 2026

Chike Onwuegbuchi

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Most companies choose to outsource at least part of their Security Operations Center (SOC), with a significant number adopting SOC-as-a-Service (SOCaaS), according to global research by Kaspersky.

This strategic move enables organisations to benefit from round-the-clock protection, ensure compliance with regulatory standards and leverage advanced cybersecurity solutions and qualified expertise that are often beyond their internal capabilities.

As cyberthreats become increasingly sophisticated, organisations are rethinking how they build and operate their Security Operations Centers. With this in mind, Kaspersky carried out a comprehensive global survey to identify the main motivations, strategic goals, and potential challenges associated with its planning and implementation¹.

The findings of this research revealed that 64% of companies plan to outsource part of their SOC, combining internal capabilities with external expertise.

Meanwhile, over a quarter of respondents (26%) are ready to fully implement an SOC-as-a-Service (SOCaaS) model. By contrast, only 9% plan to build their SOC entirely in-house, highlighting the growing challenges of maintaining round-the-clock monitoring and attracting qualified specialists.

SOC outsourcing enables organisations to delegate selected SOC functions or even the entire operational cycle to a trusted external provider. This approach can include a variety of services:

Design and architecture of the SOC.

Deployment and maintenance of SOC technologies.

Monitoring and analysis by external security analysts.

Consulting and training services.

Full SOCaaS delivery, where the provider handles detection, investigation and response around the clock.

Most companies prefer maintaining strategic tasks internally, whilst leveraging external teams and advanced technologies for operational and highly technical workloads. Among organisations planning to outsource SOC functions, the most commonly delegated tasks to third-party providers included solution installation and deployment (55%), solution development and provisioning (53%), and SOC design (47%).

When engaging external SOC specialists, companies also showed a clear preference for augmenting specific roles, with first-line analysts (61%) and second-line analysts (52%) being the most in-demand among external specialists. These figures illustrate that companies focus more on frontline and intermediate security tasks, such as monitoring and responding to threats.

Why do organisations choose SOC outsourcing?

The leading motivator for SOC outsourcing is the need for 24/7 protection (55%) – an operational requirement many internal teams cannot sustain alone. Another highly cited benefit is reducing workload on internal IT security specialists (47%), enabling teams to focus on strategic tasks.

Additionally, access to advanced solutions and technologies (42%) and external support to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and standards (41%) further drive the decision to outsource, highlighting the value of specialised expertise and cutting-edge tools such as XDR, MDR, MXDR and others.

Budget optimisation is important for only 37% of companies – indicating that the primary value of outsourcing lies in improved protection, not just cost savings.

“The trend towards outsourcing SOC functions, whether fully or partially, is primarily driven by the necessity for enhanced operational focus and strategic agility. By shifting routine and technical tasks externally, organisations are able to concentrate on high-value activities such as strategic decision-making and orchestrating responses to sophisticated threats.

“Moreover, this approach often results in considerable cost efficiencies, allowing for optimised resource allocation. Ultimately, this model transforms the SOC into a critical strategic capability, directly contributing to business continuity,” comments Sergey Soldatov, Head of Security Operations Center at Kaspersky.

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DHQ Indicts Brigadier General Abubakar Sadiq, 15 Others in Alleged Coup Plot againt Tinubu

Published

2 days ago

January 27, 2026

Ebere Melum-Nwogbo

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Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has made public the full names of 16 officers of the Armed Forces of Nigeria indicted by a Special Investigative Panel over alleged serious misconduct, including an alleged coup plot against President Bola Tinubu.

DHQ Indicts Brigadier General Abubakar Sadiq, 15 Others in Alleged Coup Plot againt Tinubu

The officers suspected to be involved in the coup plot include a brigadier general, a colonel, four lieutenant colonels, five majors, two captains, a lieutenant, a lieutenant commander and a Squandron Leader.

Major General Samaila Uba, director of Defence Information, disclosed this on Monday, stating that the panel had concluded its investigation and established that the affected officers had cases to answer.

According to him, the indicted officers will face a military Court Martial in line with established procedures and existing regulations.

Major Gen. Uba said the probe examined the circumstances surrounding the conduct of the officers and identified actions “inconsistent with the ethics, values and professional standards expected of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.”

He stressed that the exercise was purely disciplinary and aimed at preserving internal discipline, cohesion and operational effectiveness, adding that the Armed Forces remain loyal to the Constitution and Nigeria’s democratic order.