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From Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri
Billionaire founder of Zinox Group, Chief Leo Stan Ekeh, returned to Owerri last Friday not with fanfare, but with a 200-capacity ICT centre, scholarships, and jobs, with a challenge to the next generation that, “Imo must continue to raise multi-billionaires that will help the state.”
The visit rounded off the annual reunion of Holy Ghost Secondary School, Owerri, Ekeh’s alma mater. What started as a class reunion ended with the commissioning of the “Leo Stan Ekeh ICT Building” a modern facility equipped with computers and electrical gadgets, named after him by the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri, His Grace Lucius Ugorji.
The day began with prayer sessions and a lecture before the ribbon-cutting. But Ekeh, never one to miss a teaching moment, turned the commissioning into a masterclass for parents and students. Using his own journey from village boy to tech mogul, he broke down what success looked like in 2024 Nigeria.
“Your background is not your barrier,” he told the SS3 students. “What you do with the opportunity in front of you is.” He then put money behind the motivation, scholarships, jobs, and a Lagos ticket.
Ekeh announced scholarships and direct employment at Zinox for the best-performing students in SSCE and other external exams. Teachers weren’t left out as they’ll also benefit from the gesture.
The top SS3 WAEC candidate will get a fully paid trip to Lagos, with accommodation for both the student and parents. And starting from September this year, teachers at Holy Ghost will begin to receive a monthly token from the Zinox Foundation.
The State Commissioner for Education and Tertiary Institutions, Professor Ikechukwu Ikegwuoha, who attended the event, thanked Ekeh and pledged that the Imo State government “will continue to contribute its own quota to the achievements of our students.”
In a candid moment during his lecture, Ekeh revealed a lesser-known chapter of his life: “I was to be the governor of Imo before Evans Enwerem. That’s why I built my house in the village early. But I was told I was too young.”
He quickly clarified: “I’m not a politician. My prayer is that Imo should do better, so that we can continue to support the government. That’s why I support every governor.”
He commended the current administration for raising standards in the state and disclosed that his foundation is already constructing buildings for teachers, a mini ICT hall, and running teacher training programmes.
The new ICT centre is expected to bridge the digital gap for Holy Ghost students, giving them hands-on access to modern technology long before they enter the university. For Ekeh, it’s part of a larger mission to make Imo a factory for tech talent and wealth creators.
“We must pray that the state continues to raise multi-billionaires who will come back and help the state,” he said, as students cheered.
As the reunion ended, the message was clear: Leo Stan Ekeh may have left Holy Ghost decades ago, but he’s still in class, this time, teaching the whole school.
