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Ekeh, Zinox Boss Counsels Techprenuers, Urges Creation of Nigerian Bill Gates

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Leo-Stan Ekeh, founder, Zinox Group
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Leo Stan Ekeh, Nigeria’s icon of Hope and chairman, Zinox Group has urged Nigerian technology entrepreneurs to create their own future by digging deeper into different areas of technology.

Ekeh who is also global partner adviser of Microsoft Inc, told technology entrepreneurs who engaged with him in London last week, that Nigeria needed at least one true Bill Gates, in addition to the present crop of Nigerian genuine billionaires to become a successful and sustainable global brand.

According to him, it is an undisputable fact that the richest men in the world are all in businesses that influence choice and decisions aided by the deployment of knowledge like publishing, media and communications, among others.

For example, the family of Walmart makes money from what customers want by deploying knowledge gathered from ICT tools.

“I believe that God’s purpose for this technology-driven century is to reduce the inequalities among peoples but only serious nations with highly resourceful citizens and leaders would take advantage of this knowledge century to emerge on the global stage. How on earth would an Asian or African nation think of competing with any of the developed economies of the world without the power of the brain?” Ekeh added.

Ekeh who brought legitimacy to ICT business in Nigeria, said, that he was sure looking at most of them who were between the ages of 25 to 30, that a lot of them started hearing about Mr. Bill Gates from infancy till date and that the net sustained wealth from the platform launched by a young man and few of his friends created few years ago could challenge the wealth of our nation with a population of 173million.

He urged them to “Think about the multiplier effect and then you will appreciate why you should dig deeper into different areas of technology to at least brand yourself and your families,”

When confronted with the issue of infrastructural challenges in Nigeria which was responsible for the failure of a great number of SMEs, Ekeh told them Rome was not built in a day and that advanced nations such as United Kingdom achieved their current level of technological development over time.

He apprised them that until they come back with world class exposures to make their contribution in different sectors, the nation might continue to struggle.

The Zinox boss reassured them that the country was moving in the right direction and that their parents sent them abroad to study so that when they return, they will better the lots of their families and by extension the whole country.

On their fear on the stability of the country and national economy, he made them realise that only cowards run away from war fronts in a knowledge century.

While telling them that he restricted himself to technology business, he pointed out that it was the duty of every Nigerian to defend the homeland and that they should “not join few of our brothers and sisters in the UK praying for the Naira to be devalued so that their few pounds could be exchanged for more Naira so that they could visit home to intimidate other Nigerians”

 He equated such people to those Nigerian elites praying for oil price to continue to go up so that they would have more cash in their banks forgetting that the higher the oil price, the less quality of life for the general populace.

Ekeh analysed that lower oil price would stimulate quality life, reduce cost of doing business and engender the creation of more successful SMEs.This in turn, he said, would reduce the challenges of unemployment which has remained a major headache to the country.

Going further he said, “I am sure you are feeling the global panic over falling oil price in some nations while some structured knowledge-driven nations are celebrating. How can you depend on what you don’t have control over when you can use a free gift from God – that is your brain power and create unimaginable wealth? “

On the question of how he has managed to survive in the technology business in the last 26years with all the challenges facing the country, he said, “You have to be very positive about yourself, your business and the nation before you can achieve anything. My team and I have struggled against all odds to remain relevant in a nation that sees oil as almost everything. I must also inform you that there have been positive signals from government in the last ten years to support technology entrepreneurs.

At Zinox Group, we talk about technology evolution and not revolution and are confident that as one of the main pioneers of the ICT sector in West Africa we shall benefit from our sweat.” 

He affirmed that very soon Zinox Group would launch the “Zinox Vision 2040” which would encapsulate the Group’s road map for the nation, West African Sub-region and the continent of Africa. He ended by apologizing for not engaging with them before then.


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Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

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TikTok Returns on Apple, Google US App Stores as Trump Delays Ban

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TikTok returned to the U.S. app stores of Apple and Google on Thursday as President Donald Trump delayed a ban on the Chinese-owned social media app and assured the tech giants they would not be fined for distributing or maintaining it.

The popular short video app used by nearly half of all Americans went dark briefly last month, before a law took effect on January 19 that requires its Chinese owner ByteDance either to sell it on national security grounds or face a ban.

The following day, Trump signed an executive order seeking to delay the enforcement of the ban by 75 days, allowing TikTok to continue its operations in the U.S. temporarily.

Although TikTok resumed service after Trump’s assurances, Google and Apple kept the app removed from their U.S. app stores.

TikTok, the second-most downloaded app in the U.S. last year, said on Thursday that its latest app was now available for download.

The delay could have been because Google and Apple were awaiting assurances that they would not be prosecuted for hosting or distributing the app, according to analysts.

Trump’s directive said the companies, which run mobile application stores or digital marketplaces where users can browse, download and update apps, would not face penalties for keeping the TikTok app up and running.

TikTok had more than 52 million downloads in 2024, according to market intelligence firm Sensor Tower.

About 52% of its total downloads were from Apple App Store, while 48% were from Google Play in the U.S. last year, Sensor Tower said.

The law that requires ByteDance to sell TikTok’s U.S. assets or ultimately face a ban was signed by then President Joe Biden last April, triggered by national security concerns and fears that China could use the video-sharing app to spy on American users.

The U.S. has never banned a major social media platform and the law that passed last year gives the government sweeping authority to ban or seek the sale of other Chinese-owned apps. Trump said on Thursday that his 75-day deadline on TikTok could be extended.

The turmoil at TikTok attracted several potential buyers, including former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, who have expressed interest in the fast-growing business that analysts estimate could be worth as much as $50 billion.

Trump has said that he was in talks with multiple people over TikTok’s purchase and would likely have a decision on the app’s future in February.


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FG Order MDAs to Close Commercial Banks’ Accounts, Enforce TSA Policy

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Federal government has directed all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) operating in states to close their accounts with commercial banks and fully comply with the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy.

FG Order MDAs to Close Commercial Banks’ Accounts, Enforce TSA Policy

Dr. Oluwatoyin Madein, accountant-general of the Federation,

The directive was issued by Dr. Oluwatoyin Madein, accountant-general of the Federation, during a working visit to the Federal Pay Office in Benin, Edo State.

This was disclosed in a statement released on Thursday by Bawa Mokwa, director of Press and Public Relations at the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment to the TSA policy, Madein warned that no MDA should operate accounts with commercial banks unless expressly approved by the President and officially communicated by her office.

The statement reads:

“While reiterating the Federal Government’s commitment to the Treasury Single Account policy, the Accountant-General of the Federation urged the Federal Pay Officers to monitor and ensure that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies in the States do not operate any account with the commercial banks or circumvent any provision of the TSA policy.”

She further stressed that any exceptions must follow strict guidelines, requiring presidential approval and formal communication from the Office of the Accountant-General.

Madein also tasked Federal Pay Officers (FPOs) with ensuring compliance, upholding transparency, and maintaining professionalism in their financial operations.

She warned against actions that could undermine the integrity of the Federal Treasury and emphasized the need for accurate financial record-keeping.

As part of ongoing reforms, she revealed that the Federal Government is constructing new Federal Pay Offices in some states to address infrastructure and operational challenges.

She assured that her office remains committed to the welfare of its personnel while enforcing compliance with financial regulations, including the Public Procurement Act and the Constitution.

Her visit to the Benin Federal Pay Office was part of a nationwide tour to assess the operations and challenges of Federal Pay Offices across the country.


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NBRDA Investigates Biocatalysts for Bioethanol Production

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National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency (NBRDA) is investigating the development of biocatalysts from underutilised bioresources through its Young Researchers Forum (YRF) research group for bioethanol production.

NBRDA Investigates Biocatalysts for Bioethanol Production

Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, director general, NBRDA sated this in an interview conducted in Abuja on Wednesday

Biocatalysts, which can be either bacteria or enzymes, are biological entities that accelerate chemical reactions.

An alcohol-based fuel derived from renewable resources such as plants and algae is called bioethanol. It can be blended with petrol or used in place of it to cut down on petroleum use.

He asserted that bioethanol is crucial and that Nigeria has the means to fully investigate its possibilities, noting that the production of bioethanol will be helpful in setting up bioethanol plants.

“However, the catalyst for the fermentation of sugar to produce ethanol is what we are after, and we have it locally.

“When we isolate the biocatalyst, it is going to be useful in helping to establish a bioethanol factory, which will function very well due to our varying weather conditions,’’ he said.

Bioethanol has similar uses to fuels used to generate other classes of energy like heat, motor power, transportation, and electricity, the NBRDA chief added.

According to him, bioethanol is the most widely used biofuel in modern civilisation, and the process of turning biomass into bioethanol is receiving a lot of attention.

“Biological energies are renewable fuels with minimal pollution and play an important role in reducing greenhouse gas pollution, and one of them is bioethanol, which is obtained from fermentation operations.

“The world’s attention to the use of bioethanol as an energy source is focused on reducing the cost of production and increasing the efficiency of the ethanol industry.

“By consuming ethanol fuel instead of fossil fuels, the amount of greenhouse gas emissions known to be the cause of global warming will be somehow reduced,’’ Mustapha said.

According to the D-G, the creation of the Young Researchers Forum (YRF) demonstrates the agency’s efforts to support nation-building.

He added that young biotech innovators chosen from across the agency’s departments will use the conference as a training ground and launching pad.

The YRF, according to Mustapha, was a manifestation of his wish to establish an institutional framework for mentoring that would close generational divides.

He stated that one of the projects the YRF would concentrate on was the development of biocatalysts for the manufacture of bioethanol.


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