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Forbes Honors Leo Stan, Zinox Boss As Africa’s Leading Tech Icon
Leo Stan Ekeh, Serial digital entrepreneur and Chairman, Zinox Group, has been honoured with the highly coveted Forbes Best of Africa Leading Tech Icon Award.
Leo Stan Ekeh, Chairman, Zinox Group
Ekeh was conferred with the prestigious award on Friday, August 6, 2021.
The well-deserved accolade marks the latest in a long list of credible local and international awards and recognitions received by Ekeh for his over three decades of leadership and pioneering entrepreneurship in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) space in Africa, as well as his many enduring philanthropic and humanitarian legacies.
The Zinox boss was singled out for founding the most integrated ICT group in Africa with influence in four continents.
He was also honoured for pioneering e-Commerce, Desktop Publishing and Computer Graphics, Wireless Cloud and WiMAX, the first locally assembled and internationally certified computer brand – Zinox, digital dispensing pumps for fuel and gas stations as well as the biometric revolution for elections, among others in Africa.
LeoStan Ekeh, who has earned over 6o international and local awards over many years of incisive entrepreneurship, was equally singled out and honoured by President Olusegun Obasanjo on the occasion of Nigeria’s Independence Anniversary on October 1st, 2001 with an ICON OF HOPE award as a pride to modern Nigeria and as a model for Nigerian youths.
Again, President Obasanjo honoured him with another national award – the Order of the Federal Republic (OFR) in 2003.
A Fellow of the Nigeria Computer Society, the umbrella body of all computer associations in Nigeria, he was also awarded the pioneer ICT Personality of the Year by this professional body.
In November 2019, Ekeh was honoured by President Muhammadu Buhari with the National Productivity Order of Merit award for his sustained leadership in the area of Information and Communications Technology (ICT). With over four Doctorate Degrees (Honorary) and fifteen fellowships from recognized institutions and as a former global advisor to Microsoft, the leadership of Forbes praised his outstanding entrepreneurship.
In his acceptance speech, Ekeh expressed gratitude to Forbes and the Foreign Investment Network (FIN) for the recognition. Also, he reaffirmed his often-stated interest in technology as a game-changer, while also expressing his passion for humanity which he revealed is driven by access to education and quality health.
Further, he appreciated Nigerians and her leadership and Africans by extension for trusting him and his colleagues’ ingenuity across his technology group.
Ekeh said: ‘‘The 21st Century is one in which the impact of technology in the affairs of nations and in the lives of individuals cannot be wished away.
“Indeed, the world is currently a technology-mediated global village, with technology remaining, as I have often stated in some of my public talks, arguably the only profession in the world today that can transform an indigent child or youth into the richest person in the world.
‘‘With the Zinox Group, which includes over eight successful entities across verticals in the technology space, we have been able to bring to reality the power of technology in transforming lives, ushering many into the digital ecosystem and solving complex problems.
‘‘I must also not fail to mention the Konga Group, an e-Commerce platform which was acquired by Zinox in 2018 and which today, has grown into the leading player on the African continent.
“Through these companies, we have provided meaningful direct employment opportunities for over 5000 people and over 250,000 indirect employment opportunities for individuals, merchants and other beneficiaries.
‘‘If I had not made the decision to return to my first love – technology – after my educational sojourn abroad, I doubt I would have been able to contribute my little quota in reshaping the lives of thousands of African youths as we have done today,’’ he enthused.
The Forbes Best of Africa Awards 2021 aims to recognize and reward change-makers, individuals and organizations that have made remarkable difference on the African continent, improving the lives of millions across the region in the areas of entrepreneurship, technology, leadership, vision and influence despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among the dignitaries that graced the occasion was the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) represented by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo and the King of Lesotho Kingdom, His Majesty Letsie III David Mohato Seeiso, among others.
Other awardees include renowned cleric and Metropolitan Senior Pastor of House on the Rock, Pastor Paul Adefarasin; Founder and Executive Chairman of Online Integrated Solutions Ltd (OIS), Mahmood Ahmadu; Ghanaian industrialist and philanthropist, Nana Kwame Bediako; South African businesswoman and philanthropist, Wendy Ackerman; Lesotho’s leading business magnate, Sam Matekane; Zimbabwean businessman, Ken Sharpe; Rwandan Minister of Infrastructure, Clever Gatete; Zambian-based business magnate, Dr. Rajan Mahtani and Group Chairman, FIN, Mrs. Olayinka Fayomi.
Legit.ng recently joined forces with the Shade of Life Foundation to become a voice of autism, and drive advocacy for improved media support during Autism Awareness Month.
Participants at the event
Conversations around media support exploration was led by Joseph Omotayo, head of Department for Human Interest Stories at Legit.ng, and Dr. Eziafakaku Nwokolo, founder and CEO of the Shade of Life Foundation,
This partnership is a response to the concerns raised by organizations like the Shade of Life Foundation about the level of support received from the media in discussing autism as a disability.
While other disabilities may receive attention, autism, with its critical developmental implications often lacks adequate representation in mainstream media.
Recognizing the importance of addressing these concerns, Legit.ng took proactive steps by integrating itself into the essence of autism awareness.
It facilitated a one-hour workshop with Dr. Nwokolo, the founder of the foundation, to deepen our understanding of autism, its various spectrums, and the language boundaries associated with it.
Other steps we took in advocating autism awareness in the media, can be seen in our attached press release.
Legit.ng believes that by amplifying the voices of autism and advocating for better media representation, we can contribute to creating a more inclusive and accepting society for all.
While 85 per cent of Nigeria is in darkness, Tanzania, an African country has shut down five hydroelectric stations in a bid to reduce excess electricity in the national grid.
Kassim Majaliwa, prime minister, Tanzania, has said the main plant, Mwalimu Nyerere Hydroelectric Station, alone generated enough electricity to power major cities, including Dar es Salaam, the country’s commercial hub.
It is the first time Tanzania, which suffers chronic power shortages, has closed hydroelectric stations due to excess production.
“We have turned off all these stations because the demand is low and the electricity production is too much, we have no allocation now,” an official from state-run power company, Tanesco, said.
The 2,115MW Julius Nyerere Hydropower Dam is said to be almost filled with water following heavy rains that started early this year.
Meanwhile, while the country has an installed capacity of 1,938MW and the grid installed capacity of 1,899MW, Nigeria which has an installed capacity of 13,000MW is struggling to electrify 85 per cent of its electricity consumers.
President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Jim Ovia, renowned banker and businessman, as the Chairman, Board of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund.
Jim Ovia
Ovia’s appointment is contained in a State House statement titled, ‘President Tinubu appoints Jim Ovia as Chairman of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund,’ and issued on Friday by Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to the President, Media & Publicity.
The statement noted that “Ovia is the founder of one of Nigeria’s leading banks and a respected business leader, with a surfeit of efforts and benefaction towards nurturing and empowering young Nigerians.
“He is an alumnus of Harvard Business School and holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Louisiana.”
The National Student Loan Programme is a pivotal intervention that seeks to guarantee sustainable higher education and functional skill development for all Nigerian students and youths.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund, the implementing institution of this innovation, demands excellence and Nigerians of the finest professional ilk to guide and manage.
“The President believes Mr. Ovia will bring his immense wealth of experience and professional stature to this role to advance the all-important vision of ensuring that no Nigerian student suffers a capricious end to their pursuit of higher education over a lack of funds,” the statement partly read.
Ovia’s appointment will also ensure “that Nigerian youths, irrespective of who they are, have access to higher education and skills that will make them productive members of society and core contributors to the knowledge-based global economy of this century.”
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