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Zinox Group’s Vision for Empowering 10,000 Women in Tech
Visionaries who recognize untapped potential can fundamentally reshape entire economies in the rapidly evolving global technology landscape. Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh, Chairman of Zinox Group and a pioneer in Africa’s tech ecosystem, stands as a testament to this transformative power. For over three decades, Dr. Ekeh has not merely participated in Nigeria’s tech evolution; he has consistently been several steps ahead, anticipating shifts that few could even envision.
Dr. Ekeh’s latest ambitious vision focuses on producing over 10,000 female tech professionals within the next five years, positioning Zinox Group to nurture one of Africa’s largest pools of tech talent. This isn’t merely aspirational rhetoric.
The Group has demonstrated remarkable progress through its subsidiary TD Africa, which has systematically developed more certified tech professionals in sub-Saharan Africa than any other organization, primarily through strategic partnerships with globally recognized Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), such as HP, IBM, Dell, and Cisco.
TD Africa is led by Mrs. Chioma Ekeh, the wife of Dr. Ekeh and an accomplished business leader in her own right. Under her leadership, TD Africa has become a powerhouse in Africa’s tech distribution and training space. Her strategic direction has been instrumental in scaling the company’s impact, proving that when women lead, industries evolve and thrive.
The recent graduation of approximately 400 female ‘techsters’ through TD Africa’s TecHerdermy program represents a significant milestone in this mission. This achievement reflects Dr. Ekeh’s long-standing belief, articulated over 15 years ago, that women would eventually dominate leadership positions across various sectors, particularly technology.
As he predicted, many thriving organisations now have women at the helm of affairs. Recent global statistics strongly support Dr. Ekeh’s vision. According to McKinsey’s 2023 Women in the Workplace report, companies with gender-diverse executive teams are 25% more likely to experience above-average profitability. Furthermore, the World Economic Forum’s research indicates that economies with higher female labour force participation experience an average of 3.4% higher GDP growth compared to less gender-balanced counterparts.
In the technology sector specifically, Deloitte’s 2023 Global Technology Leadership Study revealed that companies with above-average diversity in their technology teams report 30% higher innovation revenue than companies with below-average diversity. These figures are not merely correlational, they reflect fundamental advantages that women bring to leadership.
The Zinox Group itself demonstrates this philosophy in action, with over five female CEOs leading various business units within the conglomerate. These women are not just occupying positions but driving results.
As the company’s motto suggests, Zinox is truly ‘anticipating the future’. These leaders embody the qualities that research consistently shows make women effective business leaders: fostering positive work culture, maintaining focused execution, demonstrating high emotional intelligence, and bringing emotional and spiritual resilience to Africa’s challenging tech landscape.
Perhaps most impressively, Zinox Group’s commitment to talent development has created a remarkable ripple effect throughout Africa’s tech ecosystem. Former employees now lead multinational corporations, bringing with them the values and vision instilled during their time within Dr. Ekeh’s organizations.
Speaking at a recent AI and Robotics Summit organised by the NCS, Dr. Ekeh urged stakeholders to “compete through exceptional content” to realize the Nigeria of their dreams, a battle he has personally waged for over thirty years. Despite setbacks, including a significant $28 million loss on investments in AI and robotics in Nigeria years ago, his commitment to technology as a transformative force remains unshaken.
Dr. Ekeh consistently emphasizes that technology represents an unparalleled opportunity for scale and impact. While acknowledging technology’s potential for misuse, he remains focused on its positive applications — creating solutions that are “good, useful, profitable, and enduring”.
His advice to entrepreneurs and tech enthusiasts emphasizes three key investments: research, human capital development, and spiritual content. This holistic approach reflects Dr. Ekeh’s understanding that technical knowledge alone is insufficient; true innovation requires character, vision, and purpose.
The Zinox chairman’s ambitions extend beyond Nigeria to the entire African continent. By building what he envisions as “the biggest tech solution company in Africa,” Dr. Ekeh aims to transform the narrative around African technology from consumption to creation.
With the African tech market projected to reach $712 billion this year according to the International Finance Corporation, and women-led startups demonstrating 35% higher returns on investment according to a 2023 analysis, Dr. Ekeh’s focus on female tech professionals appears both visionary and strategically sound.
As Africa positions itself in the global digital economy, leaders like Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh demonstrate that the continent’s technological future may well be female, and that future is here.
United States (US) House of Representatives has banned WhatsApp from all official devices as a result of data privacy and security concerns.
Harry Coker, acting national cyber security (ONCD) Director confirmed this via a statement issued on Monday, June 23 stating that WhatsApp’s high risk classification is attributed to the messaging app’s ambiguous data protection policies, inadequate encryption for stored data, and other potential security vulnerabilities.
He stated that staff have since been advised to utilize more secure communication platforms, with recommended alternatives including Microsoft Teams, Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime, Signal, and Amazon’s Wickr.
However, Nick Clegg, president of Global Affairs for Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, has strongly opposed the ban.
He said, “We disagree with this decision in the strongest possible terms, whatsApp provides a higher level of security than the other approved apps.”
This ban on WhatsApp is not an isolated incident, it follows previous restrictions on other applications, such as TikTok, which was removed from government devices in 2022.
The decision also comes just months after WhatsApp itself confirmed that Israeli spyware firm Paragon Solutions had targeted some of its users, including journalists and civil society figures.
MTN Foundation has received accolades from UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women.
The recognition, presented during a profile courtesy visit by UN Women representatives to MTN Nigeria’s Head Office in Ikoyi, Lagos, acknowledged the Organisation’s profound contributions to advancing women’s empowerment across the nation.
The UN Women delegation, led by Beatrice Eyong, UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria, commended MTN and its Foundation for their unwavering commitment to fostering an inclusive society where women thrive.
During the presentation, Beatrice Eyong, UN Women Country Representative to Nigeria, expressed profound admiration for MTN’s efforts. “I want to congratulate MTN for all that they have been doing,” Eyong stated, her voice resonating with appreciation. “And I want to congratulate MTN Foundation specifically, because they are leaving things better than they met them especially with their Mother and Child Initiatives.” Her remarks highlighted MTN’s focused impact, suggesting a significant improvement in the landscape of women’s empowerment due to the company’s interventions.
Odunayo Sanya, Executive Director of the MTN Foundation, received the award and further elaborated on the company’s broader commitment to societal upliftment through women’s empowerment. ” Our Y’ellopreneur program targeted at Female entrepreneurs is about creating access for our Female Entrepreneurs – access to skills, capital and markets. Our commitment is to contribute to the success of women – led businesses in Nigeria.
This focus on economic empowerment through skills development directly benefits women seeking to improve their livelihoods. This recognition comes as MTN Nigeria continues to champion various programmes aimed at uplifting women, from promoting gender diversity within its corporate structure to supporting women-led businesses and initiatives.
The company’s alignment with global best practices, including its recent signing on to the United Nations Women Empowerment Principles (WEPs), further solidifies its position as a leader in corporate social responsibility and gender equality advocacy.
The award serves as a testament to MTN Nigeria’s strategic and impactful investments in creating a more equitable future for Nigerian women.
Google today announced the selection of 15 promising tech startups for its Google for Startups Accelerator: Africa Class 9 program. These innovative startups, hailing from Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, and South Africa, are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to address significant challenges across diverse sectors, including fintech, agritech, healthtech, and professional services.
In an era where startups are at the forefront of solving critical challenges across Africa, these innovators often face significant hurdles to scale their operations, particularly in securing essential support, mentorship, and funding. Programs like the Google for Startups Accelerator: Africa play a crucial role in providing these opportunities, enabling tech founders and innovators to amplify their impact. By bringing together Google’s extensive resources, including cutting-edge AI technologies and a global network of experts, the program aims to equip these startups to not only thrive but also lead in addressing both local and global challenges in this AI era.
The selection follows a highly competitive application process that began in April 2025 , drawing nearly 1,500 applications from across the continent. This cohort underscores Google’s deep commitment to fostering Africa’s vibrant tech ecosystem and supporting startups in their growth journey.
“African startups are at the forefront of solving critical challenges across the continent, and their work with AI is truly transformative,” said Folarin Aiyegbusi, Head of Startup Ecosystem, Africa at Google. “This program reflects our belief that AI can be transformative when shaped by those who understand the context deeply. We are incredibly excited to support these founders who are building for impact and helping to shape an inclusive AI ecosystem across Africa.”
Over the next three months, the selected startups will participate in a hybrid accelerator program (June 23rd to August 22nd, 2025). Participants will receive dedicated technical mentorship from experienced Google engineers and industry experts , up to $350,000 in Google Cloud credits , and strategic support in AI implementation, product leadership, and business growth. They will also gain access to a global network of investors, partners, and collaborators, amplifying their reach and impact.
Since its inception in 2018, the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa program has supported 153 startups from 17 African countries. Collectively, these alumni have raised over $300 million in funding and created more than 3,500 jobs. Google has directly contributed $5 million through a combination of equity-free funding and product credits to support these founders.
The Google for Startups Accelerator: Africa Class 9 cohort includes:
AFRIKABAL (Rwanda): A blockchain and AI-powered platform helping farmers, buyers, and logistics firms trade crops securely and transparently.
Apexloads (Kenya): A logistics SaaS platform helping African freight brokers, forwarders, and transporters move cargo faster with verified partners.
E-doc Online (Nigeria): Simplifies compliance and credit checks by analyzing real-time banking data, enabling faster onboarding and smarter lending decisions.
GoNomad (Nigeria): Enables businesses to start and run global entities, and solopreneurs to professionally invoice and get paid globally like a local.
Midddleman (Nigeria): An intelligent sourcing and payment platform helping African businesses import and pay for goods from China faster, safer, and cheaper.
Myltura (Nigeria): An AI-powered digital health platform enabling remote care, test access, and seamless health data management in Africa.
Pastel (Nigeria): Offers Enterprise AI solutions, inc. AI based fraud detection and anti-money laundering solutions to financial institutions in Africa.
Rapid Human AI (South Africa): An end-to-end AI design-thinking platform that turns ideas into code in days, cutting development time by 80%.
Regulon (Ghana): An AI-powered compliance and onboarding platform designed to simplify regulatory processes for businesses across Africa and the EMEA region.
Scandium (Nigeria): An AI Quality Assurance suite that helps teams ship bug-free software faster with end-to-end test automation and test ops tooling.
Shamba Records (Kenya): An AI-powered platform that empowers 50,000+ African farmers with smart credit, market access, and climate-resilient, data-driven agriculture.
Smartel Agri Tech (Rwanda): Helps smallholder farmers in the Global South get ahead of crop pests and diseases early using AI-powered, solar-driven devices and SMS alerts.
TOLBI (Senegal): Leverages AI and satellite imagery to empower sustainable agriculture across Africa, providing precise crop yield forecasts.
YeneHealth (Ethiopia): An AI-driven digital health web, and mobile app streamlining access to affordable, reliable, quality medications & health care services.
Zerone Analytiqs (Ghana): A transformative two-pronged solution to the data scarcity in Africa, We are revolutionizing how data is sourced, analyzed, and utilized for decisions.
For further information and updates, visit the Google Africa Blog or follow @GoogleAfrica on social media.
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