LEO
STAN EKEH: Indigenous computer manufacturer
Zinox Technologies
Limited launched the first locally manufactured computers in
Nigeria
on
October 9, 2001
, and the man behind the success story of the
company is the renowned information technology technocrat, Leo
Stan Ekeh. Ekeh has seen it all in the information
technology sector having been involved in giving a reasonable
percentage of the market to all known computer brands like Compaq,
IBM, DELL, APC, Hewlett Packard and Microsoft in the past.
Ekeh’s commitment
and devotion to the information technology sector is never in
doubt, and that is why when he introduced the idea of having
computers manufactured locally in
Nigeria
. Today, Zinox Computers is synonymous with
Nigeria
’s information technology identity.
Zinox is a partnership
between Stan Technologies of Nigeria, Mustek South
Africa
and Alhena Ventures of France.
At inception, the company won the loyalty of many private
organisations and has entered into agreement with the Federal
Government in training staffers of Federal Ministries and supply
of Information Technology equipments to the Ministries and
Parastatals to facilitate computer literacy in Nigerian Schools
and among civil servants.
Ekeh’s promise
to offer assistance to any federal government agency or
organisation that wants to computerise its operations, will go a
long way in shaping the structure of information technology in the
country. The company has already announced a whopping N25 million
worth of initiative to computerize
Nigeria
and set up six computer resource centres in
year 2002.
Zinox Technologies
Limited has committed an investment worth over N1 billion and the
Company has paid close to N100 million as taxes to the government
within its first two months in business.
The Company has received commendations and expression of
interest from the business circle which is an indication of good
business relationship to come.
Zinox Technologies Ltd.,
which currently operates in Gbagada,
Lagos
with no fewer that 300 workforce has the
capacity to produce 350 personal computers per day.
The company is operating on the mandate of Microsoft and
Intel.
The company has set up
support centres in
Abuja
,
Port Harcourt
, Ikeja and
Victoria Island
. One
of the major objectives of the Company is to develop a large pool
of Information Technology professionals with a wide variety of
skills who would promote economic efficiency through the use of
ultra-modern information technology equipment.
Ekeh has
urged the federal government to review all laws affecting
industrial and manufacturing capacity utilisation in the country
to reflect the dynamism of the present socio-economic environment.
He has stressed the need for strong industrial and manufacturing
sectors in the economy. Government,
he said, should leave no stone unturned in its drive to improve
existing infrastructural facilities with a view to reducing the
cost of doing business in
Nigeria
.
According to Stan
Ekeh, the computerise
Nigeria
project is a way of giving back to the
society, sensitizing Nigerians about computers.
For
Nigeria
to play an important role in today’s
globalization, the country should be technologically driven
because a technologically driven society is a decent society.
It makes people to be focused or driving towards a positive
ambition because if the country has more scientists, the tendency
is that they will pay more attention to research most of the time.
The Chairman of Zinox
Technologies Limited is of the opinion that for
Nigeria
to catch up with the rest of the world in
information technology, the government should embark in mass
education of its citizens. If
every primary school, secondary school, polytechnics, university
and other vocational institutions are computerised, this will
bring about re-orientation of our students and this will go a long
way in curbing the high rate of crime in the society and
particularly, secret cult activities in our campuses as the
computers will keep them very busy.
Despite the success
recorded so far in accolades and patronage, Zinox Chairman, said
high taxes and duties were major impediments to economic and
industrial growth adding that within its first two months on
business, Zinox paid close to N100 million as taxes to the
government. This he
said can actually discourage investors and canvasses for a five
year rebate for Zinox.
Leo Stan Ekeh
is a devout Christian. He
is married and has children.
Newswatch Special Feature, Friday, 15 November 2002
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