Zinox Technologies Limited, Nigeria’s IT victory has built has built a corporate self-regulation mechanism otherwise corporate social responsibility fully integrated into its business model.
Through deliberate inclusion of public interest into her corporate decision-making, and the honoring of a triple bottom line: people, planet, profit, Zinox has stood out.
At a time when the world was transforming itself into the new information super highway one organization stood up to bring Nigeria into the fold. That company is Zinox Technologies Limited, a brainchild of Chief Leo Stan Ekeh famously known as -Nigeria’s Bill Gates. Observers of the country’s technology scene would readily credit him with the foresight and singular devotion in making this dream come true. Worried by the seeming lack of technology base in the country, Stan Technologies in partnership with Mustek South Africa and Alhera of France launched the now famous Zinox computers in 2001.
Launched by then Nigeria’s Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar it became the country’s first internationally certified branded computers that came complete with the naira sign on its keyboard and other considerations that really marked it out as an indigenous system. According to Mr. Echika Ezuka, Corporate Communications Adviser of Zinox Group, the computer is totally and wholly made to match the Nigerian environment considering the state of the infrastructure, climate and purchasing power of the average citizen.
On whether the company manufactures or assembles these computers? Ezuka reiterated that in today’s world of specialist manufacturing it can safely be affirmed that Zinox Technologies designed and manufactured its own systems. This is because the design and components that went into final assembling of the computers were the exclusive proprietary of the organization. To him, “it was unlike other competitors who order components from Asia in order to assemble and brand them”.
On the impact that Zinox has made in the country so far, the corporate adviser said that it can measured on the psychological level. Whereas, the United States of America can pride itself of having Hewlett Packard (HP), IBM, Dell and Mackintosh computers, the British has Time computers and South Africa, Mesa computers, Nigeria rolled out Zinox computers as a match to them. The main frame has given Nigeria a sense of belonging and placed it firmly on the international information technology map.
According to Ezuka, other foreign companies are only in the country for profit motives while Zinox being an indigenous organization has come to rescue the country from technological backwardness borne out of passion and nationalism. Furtherance to these goals is the facts that the company has 22 branches all over the country. Such passion for Mr. Ezuka is driving force behind Zinox towards technology development in the country.
He said Leo Stan Ekeh believes that no nation can talk of development without information technology. This vision led to establishment of “Computerize Nigeria Project” (CNP) Zinox Group. More over, he has consistently encouraged the promotion and use of computers in schools across the country while giving backing to “Train the trainers’ project” launched at the University of Nigeria Nsukka.
That project is meant to train teachers on use of computers so that they would transfer the knowledge to their students. Also the scheme makes it possible for both teachers and students to purchase Zinox computers at affordable prices with payments spread out over a period of time. Today, the company has entered into partnership with the National Universities Commission (NUC) and Afri-Hub for technology access to all Federal universities and polytechnics. As Ezuka noted, “education historians will always acknowledge the contributions of Zinox Technologies in this regard.
Even when the projects enumerated have commercial and profit implications, he maintains that Zinox foray in computers has to do with passion for IT development in the country. Buttressing this he revealed that the company has established digital centres and computer laboratories which it donated to the Lagos State Polytechnic, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Imo State University,Owerri, Federal University of Technology,Owerri, Federal Polytechnic Nekede,Owerri, Federal Polytechnic Idah and also, Katsina State Government which got 50 computers in 2004.
As a good corporate citizen, Zinox Group has more than 3000 workers in it workforces who not only earns their living but are able to grow in technology which they pass to other Nigerians for a positive impact on society. Aside IT, the organization has been able to concentrate on ensuring that Nigeria becomes a knowledge driven economy. This it does through donation of systems to schools, industries and governments. Mr. Ezuma claims that the chairman Leo Stan Ekeh his endowment Stan technology runs a comprehensive scholarship scheme for hundreds of students at different levels of education. The Technology Distributors (TD) another member of Zinox group runs a mathematics programme for classes’ four students in secondary schools for them to get a better grip on the basis for computer technology. More importantly, the group organizes seminars, workshops, symposia for many people and organizations in the acquisition of computer knowledge because of the role it plays in national development
Finally, the Adviser said that the Chairman has plans to set up a software company that will address most of the problems confronting Nigeria in that sector. It is an incontestable fact that Zinox Group has pioneered computer technology in this shore and the only way to keep the programme alive is for the country to buy Zinox computers.
