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Ekeh, Zinox Boss Counsels Techprenuers, Urges Creation of Nigerian Bill Gates

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Leo-Stan Ekeh, founder, Zinox Group
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Leo Stan Ekeh, Nigeria’s icon of Hope and chairman, Zinox Group has urged Nigerian technology entrepreneurs to create their own future by digging deeper into different areas of technology.

Ekeh who is also global partner adviser of Microsoft Inc, told technology entrepreneurs who engaged with him in London last week, that Nigeria needed at least one true Bill Gates, in addition to the present crop of Nigerian genuine billionaires to become a successful and sustainable global brand.

According to him, it is an undisputable fact that the richest men in the world are all in businesses that influence choice and decisions aided by the deployment of knowledge like publishing, media and communications, among others.

For example, the family of Walmart makes money from what customers want by deploying knowledge gathered from ICT tools.

“I believe that God’s purpose for this technology-driven century is to reduce the inequalities among peoples but only serious nations with highly resourceful citizens and leaders would take advantage of this knowledge century to emerge on the global stage. How on earth would an Asian or African nation think of competing with any of the developed economies of the world without the power of the brain?” Ekeh added.

Ekeh who brought legitimacy to ICT business in Nigeria, said, that he was sure looking at most of them who were between the ages of 25 to 30, that a lot of them started hearing about Mr. Bill Gates from infancy till date and that the net sustained wealth from the platform launched by a young man and few of his friends created few years ago could challenge the wealth of our nation with a population of 173million.

He urged them to “Think about the multiplier effect and then you will appreciate why you should dig deeper into different areas of technology to at least brand yourself and your families,”

When confronted with the issue of infrastructural challenges in Nigeria which was responsible for the failure of a great number of SMEs, Ekeh told them Rome was not built in a day and that advanced nations such as United Kingdom achieved their current level of technological development over time.

He apprised them that until they come back with world class exposures to make their contribution in different sectors, the nation might continue to struggle.

The Zinox boss reassured them that the country was moving in the right direction and that their parents sent them abroad to study so that when they return, they will better the lots of their families and by extension the whole country.

On their fear on the stability of the country and national economy, he made them realise that only cowards run away from war fronts in a knowledge century.

While telling them that he restricted himself to technology business, he pointed out that it was the duty of every Nigerian to defend the homeland and that they should “not join few of our brothers and sisters in the UK praying for the Naira to be devalued so that their few pounds could be exchanged for more Naira so that they could visit home to intimidate other Nigerians”

 He equated such people to those Nigerian elites praying for oil price to continue to go up so that they would have more cash in their banks forgetting that the higher the oil price, the less quality of life for the general populace.

Ekeh analysed that lower oil price would stimulate quality life, reduce cost of doing business and engender the creation of more successful SMEs.This in turn, he said, would reduce the challenges of unemployment which has remained a major headache to the country.

Going further he said, “I am sure you are feeling the global panic over falling oil price in some nations while some structured knowledge-driven nations are celebrating. How can you depend on what you don’t have control over when you can use a free gift from God – that is your brain power and create unimaginable wealth? “

On the question of how he has managed to survive in the technology business in the last 26years with all the challenges facing the country, he said, “You have to be very positive about yourself, your business and the nation before you can achieve anything. My team and I have struggled against all odds to remain relevant in a nation that sees oil as almost everything. I must also inform you that there have been positive signals from government in the last ten years to support technology entrepreneurs.

At Zinox Group, we talk about technology evolution and not revolution and are confident that as one of the main pioneers of the ICT sector in West Africa we shall benefit from our sweat.” 

He affirmed that very soon Zinox Group would launch the “Zinox Vision 2040” which would encapsulate the Group’s road map for the nation, West African Sub-region and the continent of Africa. He ended by apologizing for not engaging with them before then.


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Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

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IHS Nigeria, UNICEF Donate Oxygen Plant to Bridge Health Gap in River State

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IHS Nigeria and its implementing partner, the United Nations Child Education Fund (UNICEF) has expressed satisfaction that the Oxygen Plant recently donated to Rivers State is helping to bridge the health Gap in the state and its environs.

This observation was made recently when officials from IHS Nigeria and UNICEF, carried out a project inspection visit to the plant located at the General Hospital in Eleme, Rivers State.

During the handing over of the oxygen plant to the Rivers State Government in 2024, the facility was reported to have a production capacity of 123 oxygen cylinders and 720,000 litres of oxygen every 24 hours.

The plant was built under a Public-Private Partnership involving UNICEF, the Canadian Government, IHS Nigeria, in partnership with the Rivers State Ministry of Health through the State Hospital Management Board.

Speaking during the visit to the facility yesterday, the Director of Sustainability at IHS Nigeria, Titilope Oguntuga, noted that the oxygen plant has saved lives and is helping to bridge health gaps in the eight other states where similar plants are located.

She further explained that the visit reflects the organisation’s commitment “not only to create opportunities for impact but to also continue supporting the healthcare industry by carrying out such interventions that directly impact individuals and saves lives. This plant is one of the nine oxygen plants we have built across the federation,” she said.

“We are particularly excited that it is helping to bridge health gaps—not just in Rivers State and its environs, but in all the states where the plants are currently located.”

Oguntuga informed that in terms of sustainability “we focus our intervention sustainability on four pillars; ethics and governance, education and economic growth, environment and climate change and finally, people and communities”.

She added that “the visit to the Rivers State oxygen plant is to have an assessment of how well the plant is functioning, the impact it is currently making and to generally understand how the operation is going”.

On his part, Chief of UNICEF Field Office, Port Harcourt, Dr Anslem Audu, stated that the plant has been very functional and useful to the people of Rivers State. According to him, “During the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of patients needed oxygen and oxygen was not available. So many children will come down with pneumonia and it will become an emergency, they will need oxygen, but oxygen is not available in the hospital. But with this plant now available no child will die because of lack of oxygen in the hospital. The era of lack of oxygen is no longer there.

Audu added that “You can practically visit any of the hospitals in Port Harcourt and find out that they have oxygen and the product is from this plant all thanks to IHS Nigeria, the Canadian Government and UNICEF”.

The UNICEF field officer, who confirmed that the plant is functioning optimally, said it is producing enough oxygen for the state’s needs.

In his words, “The partnership between these three organizations and the Ministry of Health in Rivers State has really worked, and we are reaping the benefits of the partnership.

He urged the implementing partners, especially the government, to also invest in the sustainability of the facility by providing a source of electricity for the plant to be more functional.

Earlier, the Medical Director Eleme General Hospital, Dr Leechi-Okere Clarabelle, noted that since the day of the unveiling, the plant has been functioning very well. Commenting on impact he noted that “We’ve had success stories whereby oxygen is distributed to public hospitals in the state, including the two teaching hospitals in the state and then we have also extended distribution to some private hospitals within the state.

“We have two hubs that serve as storage and distribution points because of the location of the plant. We produce here and store somewhere in Port Harcourt so that people who come from a far distance can get oxygen from these hubs.

 


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JAMB Accuses Student of Securing Admission through Identity Fraud

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Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has accused a 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidate of manipulating his identity and engaging in online blackmail.

JAMB Accuses Student of Securing Admission through Identity Fraud

Fabian Benjamin, head of public affairs, JAMB, issued a statement on the matter on Thursday.

He said one Chinedu Okeke, currently a 400-level Medicine and Surgery student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), gained admission in 2021 while claiming to be from Amuwo-Odofin, Lagos state.

JAMB said Okeke’s national identification number (NIN) records from 2021 confirm his Lagos origin.

The board stated it does not alter candidate information provided through NIN.

The board, however, said the 400-level student, who is facing potential challenges for incorrect credentials, is now claiming that it retrieved the wrong details for him from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in 2021.

“[This] is unequivocally false, aimed at fabricating a defence for his case,” Benjamin said.

“The evidence suggests that Chinedu altered his records as filled in 2021 before registering for the 2025 UTME, a fact confirmed by even his advocates.”

The board questioned why a 400-level medical student would seek to study mechanical engineering in 2025, especially with “inconsistencies in his claims.”

JAMB alleged that Okeke “took advantage” of Lagos state’s quota in 2021, thereby obstructing the admission opportunities for other deserving candidates from the state.

It added that he then “attempted to manipulate his details with the NIMC” to unjustly claim representation from Anambra state in 2025.

The board criticised “online advocates” for “actively reaching out to Chinedu’s parents to extract emotional narratives rather than factual clarifications, neglecting to seek information directly from the university.”

JAMB affirmed its commitment to maintaining accurate records and preventing candidates from exploiting loopholes.

It warned that if UNN confirms any inconsistencies, it would notify the Medical and Dental Council to consider delisting Okeke.

“When a nation trivialises illegalities, it breeds a future fraught with potential criminality,” Benjamin’s statement concluded.


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Check Point Report Finds Africa as Top Target for Cyber-attacks

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Africa has become the most targeted region globally for cyber-attacks in the first quarter of 2025, according to new research from Check Point Software Technologies. The company’s Q1 2025 Global Cyber Attack Report reveals a steep rise in malicious activity as the continent continues to accelerate its Digital transformation.

Ethiopia emerged as the most targeted country in Africa during the reporting period. FakeUpdates ranked as the most common malware, while 80% of malicious files across the continent were delivered via e-mail. In contrast, 62% of threats in SA were distributed via the web.

On average, organisations in Africa faced 3 325 cyber-attacks per week – a staggering 72% above the global average of 1 938 attacks per organisation.

Check Point Software unpacked the findings at a media roundtable in Johannesburg. Eli Smadja, global research group manager at Check Point, provided a detailed overview of Africa’s evolving cyber threat landscape, which he said is increasingly defined by AI-powered threats, ransomware, infostealers, edge device vulnerabilities and cloud-based risks.

Among the most concerning developments was the discovery of a previously undocumented multi-stage backdoor, dubbed Stealth Soldier, currently being deployed in cyber operations targeting North African government entities. The malware forms part of a broader command-and-control infrastructure used in spear-phishing campaigns.

Smadja noted a growing trend in malware designed to bypass AI detection systems.

“These aren’t aimed at advanced large language models (LLMs), but rather at lower-level ones,” he said. “It’s about LLM evasion – fooling the AI and manipulating prompts.”

Despite the increasing use of AI in cyber security, Smadja cautioned against over-reliance on AI-driven defence systems. “AI still requires human prompting.”

Check Point is advocating for a zero trust model and a holistic, automated and consolidated approach to cyber security. This includes centralised threat visibility and simplified controls to protect against ransomware, phishing, data theft and vulnerabilities at the edge.

“Just having something at the perimeter isn’t enough,” Smadja said. “Cyber-attacks are not just targeting PCs or servers anymore. For instance, we’ve seen state-sponsored attacks aimed at fuel pumps to disrupt national supply chains.”

He highlighted the importance of understanding external risk – threats originating outside the organisation – especially as AI-driven ransomware and attacks on third-party service providers continue to rise.

“Printers, for example, are a major attack vector,” he added. “They’re often network-connected, and threat actors can exploit them to gain broader access.”

Credentials, Smadja noted, are also a lucrative commodity on the dark web, often selling for around $500.

 


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