TheCable

Leo Stan Ekeh, chairman, Zinox Technologies, has emerged winner of the maiden edition of Technology Times Person of The Year award.

Ekeh was nominated along Mike Adenuga, chairman Globacom Limited; Umar Garba Danbatta, chief executive/executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); Omobola Johnson, pioneer minister of communication technology for Nigeria; Funke Opeke, chief executive officer, MainOne and Jim Ovia, pioneer chairman, Visafone Communications Limited.

The award was presented by Aliyu Abubakar Aziz, director general of National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and Steve Ayorinde, commissioner for information and strategy, at the summit, which held at The MUSON Centre in Lagos.

Shina Badaru, founder of Technology Times, said the award was introduced to honour an individual, either in industry or government, who has made the most enduring contribution to the information and communication technology (ICT) industry in Nigeria.

He explained that the final honourees were selected through complementary decision of Technology Times editors (40%) and online voting (60%) on the official website of the company, www.technologytimes.ng.

According to him, Adenuga, chairman of Globacom had 15 votes (3%); Danbatta of NCC, 5 votes (1%); Ekeh of Zinox Technologies, 457 votes (90%); Johnson pioneer minister of communication technology, 16 votes (3%); Opeke of MainOne, 10 votes (2%) and Ovia, pioneer chairman, Visafone, 5 votes (1%).

Ekeh is known for manufacturing the first internationally certified computer brand in Sub-Saharan Africa – Zinox computers.

The biometric digital revolution in Nigeria can attributed to him, as he delivered the INEC voters’ registration in 2006 when foreign contractors could not deliver after months of promises.

He again supervised the biggest single ICT digital rollout in Africa with INEC in 2010 as well as the largest single e-Library and wireless cloud rollout project on the continent.

Ekeh pioneered Desktop Publishing and Computer Graphics in Nigeria in 1987 with his first company, Task Systems Ltd, and also launched the first ICT support company in Nigeria – ITEC Solutions Ltd.

He also pioneered ICT Distribution in West Africa with the launch of Technology Distributions Ltd.

Ekeh cites his story as one of many firsts and landmark achievements in his chosen field of information and communications technology.

He has served on a good number of federal government committees.

Nnamdi, one of his children is the founder of Yudala, an online and offline retail chain.