Africa’s technology industry might have missed one of its pioneering success stories if Leo Stan Ekeh, Chairman of Zinox Group, had allowed prevailing perceptions about the continent’s technological future to determine his career path.
Ekeh, who described his decision to establish a technology company in Africa when the sector was virtually non-existent as “corporate suicide”, said his conviction that technology could transform the continent gave him the courage to pursue a path many considered unrealistic.
He spoke while delivering a keynote address on the theme, “Losing the Fear”, at the International Women Leadership Conference (TIWLC) in Dubai, organised by the Ibukun Awosika Leadership Foundation.
Addressing more than 600 women industry leaders from different countries on the final day of the conference, Ekeh recounted how he returned to Nigeria after his studies abroad, at a time when many of his contemporaries were pursuing careers in banking, oil and gas, while technology was largely regarded as a foreign business with little prospect of success in Africa.
Ekeh, who studied Economics in India, said he was discouraged from pursuing a postgraduate degree in Computer Science in Europe because of the prevailing perception that Africa might have little need for computers over the next 35 years, potentially leaving him frustrated.
He subsequently opted for postgraduate studies in Risk Management before enrolling for a Master’s degree in Business Law (LLM) at London Guildhall University. However, he could not sit his final law examinations because he had redirected his tuition fees towards financing his passion for technology entrepreneurship.
He also disclosed that international technology companies had attempted to recruit him before his return to Africa, but he remained committed to building a technology business on the continent.
“I chose the road not taken,” he told the conference. “It was corporate suicide in the eyes of my parents and many others. I lost the fear because I believed technology was the master key that would unlock possibilities for Nigeria and Africa.”
The decision came at a considerable personal cost. Ekeh recalled surviving on one meal a day for more than three years and sleeping in a very small room within his office while struggling to establish his business.
According to him, his ambition extended beyond building a successful enterprise to creating a distinct Nigerian and, by extension, African identity in the global information technology industry.
He recalled establishing Task Systems Ltd more than 35 years ago, a company that pioneered desktop publishing and computer graphics in Nigeria.
At its launch, held at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Ekeh addressed an overcrowded hall of industry leaders, some of whom were encountering computers for the first time. His message was emphatic: “No country can claim to be independent without technology independence.”
He said the Nigerian media embraced the vision, describing him as a “miracle child” and supporting the company’s roadmap. This, he noted, contributed to the computerisation of more than 97 per cent of media and multimedia houses in Nigeria, as well as similar developments in other African countries.
Ekeh said the same determination informed his decision to establish Zinox Technologies, which became one of Africa’s first Microsoft WHQL- and Intel-certified computer manufacturers.
He explained that the initiative was designed to demonstrate that African companies could manufacture technology products to international standards and compete globally.
“We were not just building computers,” he said. “We were building a statement that Africa could manufacture to global standards because we had the passion, experience and capacity and believed the risk was worth taking. The government and people of Nigeria celebrated us. With Zinox, we demystified and domesticated technology and were able to handle critical projects in Nigeria and some African countries. This is what innovation is all about.”
However, Ekeh acknowledged that his entrepreneurial journey was not without setbacks, describing Nigeria as a country that had both “blessed and bruised” him.
He spoke about what he characterised as controversial patronage, corporate blackmail and the challenges confronting entrepreneurs who build visible businesses in difficult operating environments. According to him, these experiences help explain why some African billionaires may be reluctant to endure the difficulties associated with building businesses and may struggle to defend their wealth.
Urging the women not to allow fear to determine the limits of their ambitions, he said the most rewarding opportunities often lie along difficult and unfamiliar paths.
“Fear will always have a voice,” he said. “But it must not have a vote. The road less travelled is less travelled for a reason. It is harder. It is lonelier. But it is worth it.”
He assured the participants that he would provide a fuller account of his entrepreneurial journey in a forthcoming book before the end of 2027.
Turning to women’s participation in technology, Ekeh reminded the women that they hold the comprehensive keys to national prosperity in the second quarter of the 21st century.
He highlighted the Zinox Group’s investment in developing female technology professionals through TD Africa Distributions Ltd, one of Africa’s biggest technology distribution companies.
According to him, TD Africa, through its TecHerdemy initiative, has trained more than 1,000 women in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, software development, data science and professional etiquette, with many graduates now occupying leadership positions across the technology ecosystem.
He added that women also occupy strategic positions within the Zinox Group, including several female chief executives heading different business units.
Ekeh challenged the women to recognise their capacity to shape industries, create opportunities and influence the future, particularly in sectors traditionally dominated by men.
He emphasised that courage, competence and determination were essential for breaking barriers in business and technology, stressing that leadership went beyond personal achievement to creating pathways through which others could advance.
The conference, convened by the Ibukun Awosika Leadership Foundation, brought together women founders, executives and first-time managing directors from across Africa and beyond to discuss leadership, enterprise development and women’s participation in economic growth.