Leo Stan Ekeh, founder and chairman of Zinox Group, has described his decision to build a technology business in Nigeria more than 35 years ago as “corporate suicide”, recalling how he rejected safer career options to pursue a technology industry that was barely established in Africa.
Speaking at The International Women Leadership Conference (TIWLC) in Dubai, Ekeh told more than 600 women leaders from different countries that his decision to return to Nigeria and invest in technology was driven by his belief that the sector could play a central role in the continent’s development.
Ekeh was a keynote speaker on the final day of the conference, organised by the Ibukun Awosika Leadership Foundation. Addressing the theme “Losing the Fear”, he reflected on the personal and professional risks involved in building a technology business in an environment where many people saw little commercial future for the industry.
After studying Economics in India, Ekeh said he had considered pursuing postgraduate studies in Computer Science in Europe. However, he was discouraged from following that path because of the widespread belief at the time that Africa would have little need for computers over the following 35 years. He subsequently studied Risk Management before enrolling for a Master’s degree in Business Law (LLM) at London Guildhall University.
He recalled that he was unable to sit his final law examinations after redirecting his tuition fees towards his technology business ambitions. He also said several international technology companies had attempted to recruit him before he eventually returned to Africa.
“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 early years were difficult. Ekeh said he survived on one meal a day for more than three years and slept in a small room at his office while working to establish his business.
His ambition was to develop a Nigerian technology identity that could eventually extend across Africa. More than 35 years ago, he launched Task Systems Ltd, a company credited with pioneering desktop publishing and computer graphics in Nigeria.
Recalling the company’s launch at the Sheraton Hotel in Ikeja, Ekeh described an overcrowded event attended by industry leaders, some of whom were encountering computers for the first time. He used the occasion to make a point about the relationship between technology and national independence.
“No country can claim to be independent without technology independence,” he told the audience.
Ekeh said Nigerian media organisations supported his vision, with the press describing him as a “miracle child” and helping to promote the company’s ambitions. He attributed this support to the subsequent computerisation of more than 97 per cent of media and multimedia houses in Nigeria, as well as organisations in other African countries.
His next major step was establishing Zinox Technologies, which became one of Africa’s first Microsoft WHQL- and Intel-certified computer manufacturers. According to Ekeh, the company was established to demonstrate that African businesses could manufacture technology products to international standards rather than depend entirely on imported equipment.
“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.”
He added that Zinox helped make technology more accessible in Nigeria and enabled the company to undertake major projects in Nigeria and other African countries.
However, Ekeh also acknowledged the difficulties of operating a major business in Nigeria. Describing the country as one that had both “blessed and bruised” him, he spoke about what he characterised as controversial patronage, corporate blackmail and the challenges of protecting a business built over several decades.
He suggested that such experiences could discourage wealthy African entrepreneurs from investing in and defending businesses over the long term. For him, the difficulties reinforced the importance of remaining committed to a vision even when the circumstances become uncomfortable.
“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.”
Ekeh also told the audience that he plans to publish a book before the end of 2027, in which he intends to share the full account of his business journey and the challenges he encountered.
Beyond his own experience, he used the conference to highlight the role of women in shaping Africa’s economic and technological future. He said women have a significant capacity to influence national development and encouraged those in leadership positions to use their experience and influence to create opportunities for others.
He also pointed to investments in women’s technology education within the Zinox Group. Through TecHerdemy, an initiative of TD Africa Distributions Ltd, which he described as one of Africa’s largest technology distribution companies, more than 1,000 women have received training in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, software development, data science and professional etiquette.
According to Ekeh, many of the programme’s graduates have progressed into leadership positions across the technology sector. He added that women also occupy senior management positions within the wider Zinox Group, including several chief executive roles across its business units.
His message to the women leaders was that breaking barriers requires more than occupying senior positions. It also involves developing the competence to influence industries, creating opportunities for others and helping build institutions where future generations can advance.
The TIWLC conference brought together women founders, executives and first-time managing directors from Africa and other parts of the world. Convened by the Ibukun Awosika Leadership Foundation, the gathering focused on leadership, business growth and the role of women in shaping the future of different industries.
