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By Funsho Arogundade
Corner rooms of family-owned firms, once the preserve of only the male scions of big business families, are now being increasingly occupied by daughters. Examples abound everywhere —even closer home in Nigeria. In Lagos, Andrea Chigoziem ‘Gozy’ Ijogun is a classical example. The young, enterprising lady has been deeply involved in the family business for years now. But this highly cerebral lady is taking forward her billionaire father, Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh’s legacy in Africa’s tech ecosystem.
It is often said that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. But it’ll be an understatement to say that Gozy has carved out a significant presence for herself in the cut-throat world of digital technology business.
On Saturday April 1, 2023, Gozy was appointed CEO of Task Systems Ltd —a 38-year-old ICT powerhouse and one of the flagship companies under the Zinox Group— with a bold mandate: transform the company into Africa’s leading technology powerhouse. Of course, the company is not new to trailblazing. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, long before digital infrastructure became a buzzword, Task Systems had evolved into the silent engine room powering Nigeria’s largest corporations, including Shell, Chevron, Total Plc, and others with over 257 highly trained ICT professionals, ensuring uninterrupted operations at a time when technical expertise was scarce. With these unassailable records, Gozy understands her task at Task. Her track record speaks volumes.
Gozy is very well educated with Ivy League degrees, armed with a degree in Chemistry from University College, London, and a Master of Science degree in Accounting, Organisations and Institutions from the London School of Economics. Gozy is quite solid and rock-steady. Long before she took the helm at Task Systems, at 25, the enterprising lady altered the digital roadmap of the nation by launching the first structured mobile devices distribution company in Nigeria, TD-Mobile. Defying all odds, Gozy delivered a whooping N38 billion in her first year with just seven staff members. The move reshaped the market and improved nationwide access to smart devices.
With her very outstanding performance, TD-Mobile was integrated into TD Africa, the pioneer and leading technology distribution company in Sub-Saharan Africa, representing over 25 global brands like Microsoft, IBM, HP, Cisco, Lenovo, Dell, Asus and Samsung. Gozy, widely renowned as an astute and thorough-bred professional, rose to the position of Managing Director in a short period.
Couple of years later, Gozy is replicating the magic with strategic acumen to reposition Task Systems for continental dominance. Under her leadership, Task Systems has accelerated innovation, strengthened global partnerships, and deepened its digital solutions footprint across industries.
The company has already accumulated over 27 global awards and three globally recognised certifications. But a jewel in a crown built on years of trust, innovation, and performance is the most coveted Microsoft Partner of the Year Award recently clinched by the company in the United States.
This milestone award, bestowed annually by Microsoft, celebrates partners who are revolutionising their industries through groundbreaking solutions, customer-centric innovation, and measurable business impact. Task Systems was among the 42 awardees from a pool of over 4,000 contenders across 100 countries at a ceremony in San Francisco, California. Winning in this highly competitive category is no small feat; it is a testament to almost four decades of resilience, ingenuity, and leadership, qualities deeply embedded in Task Systems’ DNA as espoused by Gozy’s dynamic leadership.
