By Ayodele Adigun

It was a weather-friendly Tuesday morning on October 9, 2001 at Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos. History was made in Nigeria. Zinox, a wholly indigenous tech brand, was launched with many firsts and unique features. The brainchild of Forbes Best of Africa’s Tech Icon, Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh, it had the blessings of the then President Olusegun Obasanjo, an African statesman of peerless courage.

The event was attended by dignitaries from both the public and private sectors, diplomats and representatives of multinational computer brands.

The then Vice President Atiku Abubakar was Special Guest of Honour, while President of the Senate at that time, Rt. Hon. Anyim Pius Anyim, was Chairman of the occasion. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, then Governor of Lagos State, was chief host. Lagos was on lockdown literally, from the Island to the mainland as many governors, ministers, senators and members of the National Assembly, top corporate moguls, the leadership of the different labour unions, led by Adam Oshiomhole, then President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, were in attendance.

Beyond the razzmatazz of the colourful launch, Zinox more than justified the confidence Obasanjo reposed in Ekeh and the brand. It did not just transform into a formidable African brand, it scored many firsts, a salute to the legendary innovative entrepreneurial skill of Ekeh and his team and a testament to the outstanding leadership clairvoyance of Obasanjo. It is safe to say that in Zinox, Obasanjo saw the future.

After the launch, Obasanjo invited the management to Aso Rock and endorsed the Zinox brand as a national pride. It was no surprise that Obasanjo branded Ekeh: “Icon of Hope,” on October 1, 2002, as a role model to future Nigerian digital entrepreneurs, a fitting cap for an exemplar of the true Nigerian spirit of chutzpah, excellence, innovation, humility and integrity.

True, President Obasanjo achieved a lot in the ICT ecosystem from the introduction of the GSM genre of telephony via one of the most transparent mobile digital auctions administered by Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, to the creation of several indigenous computer assembly plants. But it was obvious that Zinox brand and its promoter, Ekeh, occupied a huge space in the President’s heart. Obasanjo boldly flaunted the Zinox brand, travelling the world with it, not just as a user but as a national brand and pride and was never shy to show it to other world leaders that Nigerians can also produce computers.

In one of his books, Obasanjo is a prolific writer, it has to be said, he celebrated Ekeh as a model for Nigerian youths. He topped the presidential adulation for Ekeh with the Officer of the Order of the Federal Republic, one of the high-ranking honours of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Obasanjo never hid his admiration for Ekeh or his pride in his accomplishments as an indigenous player with global clout. On one occasion when President Obasanjo was hosting the nation’s captains of industry at State House, he singled out Ekeh and openly prayed for him, showering him with presidential blessings and publicly affirming his positive impact on Nigerian youths as a man who is living the Nigerian dream with hard work.

On account of the reliability of the Zinox brand and Obasanjo’s matchless sense of patriotism, he directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to standardise on Zinox and equivalent indigenous brands. This gave a spur to the growth of the Zinox brand and it became the preferred brand in the industry among public and private sector officials.

Zinox at 23 is beyond a celebration of an African brand. It is a celebration of uniqueness, doggedness, resilience and entrepreneurial majesty of an African who dared the digital nerds of the advanced economies and succeeded in creating digital mills in and across Africa. But more significantly, Ekeh singlehandedly turned global attention to Nigeria.

And just by Ekeh’s stroke of genius, Zinox scored many firsts. The first internationally certified indigenous computer brand in West Africa and the first computer brand in the world to incorporate the Naira sign (N) on its keyboard. First Original Equipment Manufacturer in sub-Saharan Africa to receive Microsoft Windows Hardware Quality Lab Certification; first Microsoft Prime Production Online Automation Partner in Sub-Saharan Africa with the OA Version 3.0; first Intel Premium Partner; first OEM in West Africa to attain the ISO 9001-2015 Certification; first to acquire the Google Mobile Application Distribution Agreement in West Africa; first OEM in Nigeria to introduce renewable energy and lifestyle products and attaining the status of Intel Platinum Partner in sub-Saharan Africa.

In 23 years, Zinox has become one of a kind, unique in name, quality, global competitiveness and readiness for the market. The high-profile stature of its launch said it all. Zinox is truly like no other indigenous brand.

Atiku, a retired Customs Officer, widely travelled businessman and nationalist, underscored the seriousness of the Zinox brand at the launch. He said: “I have been in both public and private sector. I have travelled widely and have witnessed the launch of products and services across the world but nowhere in the world have I seen a product launch of this magnitude and type. Zinox has just made a huge marketing statement out of Nigeria that would be heard in the rest of Africa and around the globe.”

Atiku gushed as he addressed the enraptured and sufficiently excited audience. An elated Atiku spoke glowingly about the Zinox project, describing it as a perfect example of backward integration which sits well with the Federal Government policy of looking inward to boost the nation’s primary sector. He saluted Ekeh and his team for their ingenuity and tech-savvy showmanship.

An excited Oshiomhole, who launched the “Computerise Nigeria Project”, a social project at the event by Zinox meant to democratise the ownership of computers to the unreached and under-reached, described Ekeh as a “digital militant”.

A good 23 years after, Atiku deserves to be called a master of clairvoyance. As he predicted 23 years ago, Zinox’s influence has spread across Africa and beyond.

The public presentation of Zinox range of products was beyond a product launch. It was a loud statement on the sovereignty of Nigeria. In the 21st century, no nation is truly sovereign without her home-grown tech identity and sufficiency. Ekeh sings this as his abiding song: the need to create a truly Nigerian IT identity.

Ekeh is a serial digital disruptor, an incurable challenger of status quo. And Zinox is a product of both personal determination and patriotism. It was born to break protocol and discard stereotype. It answered the question: Can anything good come out of Nigeria?

Ekeh says with a sense of national pride and self-satisfaction: “We showed that in Nigeria, it’s possible to create technology that is smart, competitive and stands shoulder to shoulder with any of its kind across the globe. We went a step further in domesticating the technology behind Zinox. We conceptualised and built into the systems stabilizers and surge protectors to take care of our peculiar challenges of irregular electricity supply and the problems associated with switching from Alternating Current (AC – national grid) to Direct Current (DC-generators). What gives me joy above monetary reward is that today when our children hear about Zinox, they have a sense of self-belief because they have been to our plant and they now know there’s nothing so special about the computer and the technology behind it.”

So far, Zinox has proven both competence and capacity at home and other parts of Africa. It was the preferred technology that powered several mega projects including the 8th All Africa Games codenamed COJA 2003; the 18th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting held in Nigeria in 2003; All-Africa University Games held in Bauchi in 2004; and 7th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Africa Union held in The Gambia in 2006. It has also undertaken critical interventions by transforming the Nigeria and Guinea Bissau electoral systems from analogue to digital. The conduct of Nigeria general elections in 2007 and 2011 is a good example. Zinox has also fully provided the technology for the postponed national census.

A quintessential family man, Ekeh has stayed deep-rooted in the ICT space. His wife, Lady Chioma Ekeh, a mathematician and chartered accountant, oversees the biggest tech distribution company in sub-Sahara Africa, TD Africa. His first son, Prince Nnamdi Ekeh, aka The Prince of Konga, with MBA from Oxford, leads Konga, the ecommerce giant, which he acquired through his company, Yudala, in one of the most ambitious and seamless acquisitions in Africa’s tech history.

His first daughter, Gozy Ajogun, nee Ekeh, an alumnus of London School of Economics, oversees Task Systems, an ICT solutions firm under the Zinox Group. T second daughter, Chidalu Ekeh, with Masters in Digital Marketing from Imperial College, London, is a Fintech whiz, while his other two younger sons also play in the tech space.

Ekeh has built a digital family rooted in ICT. He has added digital value to Africa, but the best of them all is the gift of Zinox, for which the nation is grateful.

. Adigun, an Associate Professor of Mechatronics, writes from Lagos.

AVEVA, a global leader in industrial software, today launches AVEVA World 2024 in Paris’ Palais des Congrès. The annual flagship software conference brings together leading industrial companies from across the globe to explore how to generate impact with cutting-edge technology. Executives from key industrial verticals including Power, Chemicals, Minerals and Food & Beverage, will be present.

All with the shared aim of better utilising advanced software to drive stronger business and sustainability outcomes.

During the AVEVA World 2024 press conference, AVEVA‘s CEO, Caspar Herzberg, announced new strategic partnerships with Vulcan Energy Resources (VER) and Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC).

Vulcan Energy Resources (VER) is committed to become the world’s first lithium company with a carbon neutral footprint through a ground-breaking lithium technology. AVEVA’s new partnership with Vulcan will focus on the Vulcan Energy Resources €1.5billion engineering project in Germany’s Upper Rhine Valley – with AVEVA providing the digital backbone for the project.

This collaboration supports both companies’ commitment to driving digital transformation and sustainability throughout the lifecycle of industrial assets.

VER aims at decarbonising lithium production by developing the world’s first dual lithium chemicals and renewable energy business with net zero greenhouse gas emissions. CONNECT, will be used to enhance collaboration and foster digital agility across the different project phases and industrial assets.

VER will gain access to a comprehensive suite of software solutions tailored to Phase One and future phases. Core components, such as AVEVA’s Contract Risk Management (CRM) and AVEVA Asset Information Management (AIM), as well as AVEVA’s cutting-edge digital twin and Assai’s Document Control and Management system, will enable secure data sharing among multiple stakeholders including contractors.

“This collaboration supports our commitment to driving digital transformation and sustainability throughout the lifecycle of industrial assets. By collaborating with AVEVA, Vulcan can harness the full power of CONNECT to ease collaboration and accelerate the software underpinning their ground-breaking lithium technology.” comments Caspar Herzberg, CEO, AVEVA.

Cris Moreno, CEO of Vulcan Energy Resources, said: “This MoU marks the beginning of a promising long-term collaboration between Vulcan and AVEVA.

“We are delighted to have AVEVA as a key partner in delivering world-leading digital solutions for Phase One of our integrated renewable energy and ZERO CARBON LITHIUM™ Project ecosystem and beyond.”

AVEVA’s new partnership with Oxford Quantum Circuits (OQC) seeks to develop an application of quantum computing in the industrial sector. While still in its infancy, quantum computing is expected to help customers save time and money, as well as reducing power consumption. By partnering with OQC, AVEVA is bringing the power and capability of quantum compute to its customers, enabling them to unlock its potential to solve new and previously thought impossible problems.

Quantum compute is anticipated to deliver an exponential speed-up over classical techniques, as well as generate cost and power consumption reductions: including AI large language models and big data.

When announcing the technology partnership with OQC, a global leader in quantum computing-as-a-service, Caspar Herzberg declared:

“We often hear “Time is Money” but today, there’s a new paradigm: Time is sustainability! The climate crisis is urging industries to accelerate their journey to net-zero. The faster we innovate for a better world, the better.

“Quantum Computing is a game changer in terms of speed, efficiency, and precision. I’m convinced that quantum technology will unlock faster and more sustainable innovation in industries.”

“Quantum computing is set to revolutionise every sector with faster and more nuanced information processing. Through OQC’s capabilities, quantum is now a tangible, accessible asset for businesses like AVEVA to utilise for experimentation. We look forward to unlocking its potential for their customers” added Gerald Mullally, CEO, Oxford Quantum Circuits.

MTN Nigeria, leading telecommunications provider has officially launched the first 5G Experience Centre in Abuja, on Wednesday, 16th October, marking a significant milestone in the brand’s commitment towards advancing connectivity in Nigeria.

L-R: ThankGod Otorkpa, General Manager, Regional Operations (North), MTN Nigeria, Shoyinka Shodunke, Chief Information Officer, MTN Nigeria; Engineer Joseph Emeshili, Head, Spectrum Planning, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); Ugonwa Nwoye, Chief Customer Relations Officer (CCRO), MTN Nigeria; Tobe Okigbo, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer (CCSSO) MTN Nigeria; and Osaze Ebueku, Senior Manager, Sponsorships and Promotions, MTN Nigeria during the launch of MTN 5G Experience Center in Abuja.

The state-of-the-art centre is designed to showcase the capabilities of 5G technology, empowering customers, businesses, and innovators to explore its potential.

The launch event, graced by industry stakeholders including representatives from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and tech enthusiasts such as Fisayo Fosudo and Izzi Boye, highlighted MTN’s commitment to delivering world-class telecommunications services that enhance the lives of its customers.

Offering attendees and visitors the opportunity to interact with cutting-edge technology, the 5G Experience Centre includes virtual reality, augmented reality, and ultra-high-definition streaming applications, as well as a digital customer service point.

Speaking at the launch, the Chief Customer Relations Officer, Ugonwa Nwoye, said “Today, we are proud to unveil the MTN 5G Experience Centre, a hub for innovation and a testament to our dedication to bringing the best of technology as close as possible to our customers.”

“At MTN, technology is not just about selling data but empowering our customers with the right technological resources to reach their highest potential.”

Going further, she said, “At MTN, our ability to bring the best to our customers is our pride from being the first to launch 5G in West Africa, to powering faster internet speeds; our connectivity has the potential to revolutionise various sectors, including healthcare, education, and agriculture.

“We believe this centre will inspire creativity and drive the adoption of digital solutions across the country.”

Engineer Joseph Emeshili, Head, Spectrum Planning, Nigerian Communications Commission, speaking on behalf of the Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Aminu Maida, commended MTN on the launch.

He said, “The NCC commends MTN Nigeria for its efforts to promote the development of emerging technologies and to enable its customers to tap into this great experience and full potential of 5G.

“This move is encouraging and needs all hands-on deck to ensure the effectiveness of emerging technologies and the Nigerian tech ecosystem.”

Expressing his excitement for the launch, the Chief Information Officer, MTN Nigeria, Shoyinka Shodunke, said, “For us at MTN, the unveiling of the 5G Experience Centre is beyond the launch we have today.

“It is an experience we’re inviting everybody to be a part of to see the possibilities of 5G.

“What you see here today are dreams of our customers we’ve turned into realities and possibilities.

“We take these dreams, co-create and turn them into fantastic experiences for our customers businesses and pleasure.”

“We don’t develop viable products using the old methodology but encourage our target audience to share their ideas, sit together and create their ideas into tangible versions we can touch and feel.

“To this end, I encourage everyone to be a part of this journey and enjoy it to the fullest,” he added.

In addition to the experience centre, MTN is committed to expanding its 5G network across Nigeria, ensuring more communities have access to this game-changing technology.

The company plans to roll out additional centres in key cities, further promoting digital literacy and innovation.

“As we embark on this new era of connectivity, we invite all Nigerians to explore the endless possibilities that 5G offers,” added Ugonwa Nwoye. “Together, we can create a more connected, informed, and prosperous nation.”

The MTN 5G Experience Centre is now open to the public, and visitors are encouraged to book appointments for personalised tours and demonstrations.