Leo Stan Ekeh, chairman of Zinox Group, has described his decision to build a technology company in Africa as 'corporate suicide', speaking to over 600 women industry leaders at an international conference in Dubai. Ekeh delivered a keynote address on the final day of The International Women Leadership Conference, organised by the Ibukun Awosika of Leadership Foundation, where he discussed the theme 'Losing the Fear'.
Ekeh explained that when he completed his studies abroad and returned to Nigeria, his peers were entering banking, oil and gas sectors while technology remained largely viewed as a foreign domain. '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.' His message encouraged the women leaders to recognise their capacity to shape industries, create opportunities and influence the future.
The journey proved extremely difficult. Ekeh said he survived on one meal a day for over three years and slept in a small room in his office during the early stages of building his vision. His goal was to create a Nigerian and African information technology identity at a time when the sector barely existed on the continent. He launched his first company, Task Systems Ltd, over 35 years ago, which pioneered desktop publishing and computer graphics in Nigeria.
For Nigeria's technology sector and entrepreneurs broadly, Ekeh's experience illustrates both the challenges of building businesses in emerging markets and the importance of perseverance when pursuing unconventional paths in industries where local capacity is underdeveloped.