Founder and chairman of Zinox Group Leo Stan Ekeh says he could have become governor of his state but chose not to pursue politics because it is not his calling.
Mr Ekeh spoke at a forum on Thursday with selected young entrepreneurs in Owerri, where he addressed questions about whether he would consider joining partisan politics after his career in business.
“Me, politics? No. I would have been governor of my state long, long ago, but politics is not my calling. However, I support progressive, ideas-driven politicians across the country,” he said.
He added, “I speak here as an entrepreneur, not a politician. I don’t play politics. I am not a politician and I will not be one. I play in the digital space which is the enabler of development and I am happy doing what I’m doing.”
Ekeh, who turns 70 on February 22, recalled returning to Nigeria from the United Kingdom after quitting his postgraduate programme to pursue opportunities in the country’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector.
“I returned to Nigeria from the United Kingdom after quitting my post-graduate programme because I believed so much in this country and the opportunities it presents,” he said.
He said his goal was to promote what he described as “digital democracy” at a time when many processes were analogue.
“Once we were done with digitising the media, we moved strongly into the oil and gas, financial sector, and public sector, where we impacted on e-governance.
“Our ambitious Computerise Nigeria initiative ensured that homes, educational institutions, and Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), which had no access to computers had access. We did not just dump computers on the people, we ensured they were skilled-up to effectively use the systems for enhanced productivity. Nigeria offered me the opportunity to do all this for which I am grateful.”
Leo Stan Ekeh, an indigene of Imo State, was honoured with the Distinguished Star of Imo State award at the grand finale of the Imo at 50 celebrations.
On the economy, he commended President Bola Tinubu for commencing reforms at the start of his administration, saying delay would have worsened conditions.
He referenced comments by the World Bank and the Director-General of the World Trade Organisation, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as support for the reform measures.
“As a major player in Africa’s ICT ecosystem, I can assure you that major multinationals in this sector are not only investing more in Nigeria, they are collaborating with indigenous players and this is evident in the contribution of the ICT sector to the GDP,” he said.
Ekeh also recalled Tinubu’s role as governor of Lagos State during the launch of Zinox digital products in 2001, saying he has known the president for years.
Charging the mentees, he urged them to remain focused.
“Entrepreneurship anywhere in the world is tough, but with patience, perseverance, and commitment, you will push through,” he said.
