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Chairman of Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh, has described his decision to build a technology business in Nigeria more than three decades ago as akin to “corporate suicide”.
He recounted the sacrifices, risks and resistance he faced while pursuing a vision to establish an African identity in the global technology industry.
Ekeh made the revelation earlier this week while delivering a keynote address on the theme, ‘Losing the Fear’, at The International Women Leadership Conference (TIWLC) in Dubai, organised by the IbukunAwosika Leadership Foundation.
Addressing more than 600 women industry leaders from different countries on the final day of the conference, the technology entrepreneur said he deliberately chose an uncertain path at a time when technology entrepreneurship was largely considered an unviable career option in Nigeria and much of Africa.
He recalled returning to Nigeria after studying Economics in India to find many of his contemporaries pursuing careers in banking, oil and gas, while the technology industry remained largely undeveloped.
According to him, his ambition to pursue postgraduate studies in Computer Science in Europe was discouraged by prevailing perceptions that Africa would have little need for computers over the following 35 years.
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 disclosed that he could not sit his final law examinations after diverting his tuition fees into his passion for technology entrepreneurship.
Ekeh also revealed that he rejected recruitment attempts by international technology companies because he was determined to return to Africa and build a technology business.
“I chose the road not taken. 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,” he said.
He described the early years of the journey as financially challenging, revealing that he survived on one meal a day for more than three years and slept in a small room within his office while building his business.
His ambition, he explained, was to establish a Nigerian and broader African identity in the global technology ecosystem.
Reflecting on the establishment of his first company, Task Systems Limited, more than 35 years ago, Ekeh said the business pioneered desktop publishing and computer graphics in Nigeria.
He recalled that during the company’s launch at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, he addressed an overcrowded hall of industry leaders, some of whom were encountering computers for the first time.
“No country can claim to be independent without technology independence,” he recalled telling the gathering.
He said the Nigerian media embraced the company’s vision and supported its technology roadmap, contributing to the computerisation of more than 97 per cent of media and multimedia organisations in Nigeria and other African countries.
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Ekeh said the same vision informed his subsequent decision to establish Zinox Technologies, which became one of Africa’s first Microsoft Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL)- and Intel-certified computer manufacturers.
According to him, the objective was to demonstrate that African companies could manufacture technology products that met international standards rather than remain dependent on imported solutions.
“We were not just building computers. 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,” he said.
He added that Zinox helped demystify and domesticate technology in Nigeria, enabling the company to execute critical technology projects within the country and other African markets.
However, Ekeh acknowledged that the journey had not been without difficulties, 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 difficulties associated with building and defending a prominent business in a challenging operating environment.
According to him, such experiences partly explain why many wealthy individuals may be reluctant to endure the difficulties involved in building businesses across Africa.
“Fear will always have a voice. 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 said.
The Zinox chairman disclosed that he planned to document the full account of his entrepreneurial journey in a book that will he unveiled before the end of 2027.
Beyond his business experience, Ekeh urged women leaders to recognise their capacity to shape industries, create opportunities and influence economic development.
He described women as critical to national prosperity and highlighted the investments of Zinox Group in developing female talent across the technology ecosystem.
He disclosed that TD Africa Distributions Limited, one of the group’s technology distribution businesses, had trained more than 1,000 women through its TecHerdemy initiative in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, software development, data science and professional etiquette.
He said several beneficiaries of the programme had progressed into leadership positions across the technology industry.
Ekeh added that women also occupy strategic positions within the Zinox Group, including chief executive roles across some of its business units.
The conference, convened by the IbukunAwosika Leadership Foundation, brought together women founders, corporate executives and first-time managing directors from Africa and other parts of the world to discuss leadership, economic participation and the role of women in shaping the future of business and technology.
