Speaking as a keynote speaker on the final day of The International Women Leadership Conference (TIWLC) in Dubai, organized by the Ibukun Awosika Leadership Foundation under the theme “Losing the Fear” Ekeh reflected on his early entrepreneurial struggles.
He recalled returning to a Nigeria where his peers gravitated toward banking and oil and gas, while technology was largely perceived as a foreign domain.
Tracing his academic path from studying Economics in India to pursuing postgraduate qualifications in London, Ekeh revealed that he diverted his Master of Laws (LLM) tuition fees into his passion for technology entrepreneurship, missing his final exams in the process. He also turned down recruitment offers from major international technology firms prior to establishing his footprint in Africa.
"I chose the road not taken," Ekeh told the delegates. "It was corporate suicide in the eyes of my parents and many others. I lost the fear because I believed technology was the master key that would unlock possibilities for Nigeria and Africa."
The journey required immense personal sacrifice, including living on a single meal a day for over three years and sleeping in a cramped office space. When he launched his pioneer company, Task Systems Ltd, over 35 years ago, introducing desktop publishing and computer graphics to Nigeria, he addressed an overcrowded room at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, declaring that no nation can claim true independence without technological sovereignty.
Ekeh noted that early support from the Nigerian media helped computerize over 97 per cent of media and multimedia houses across Nigeria and neighboring African countries. This momentum paved the way for the creation of Zinox Technologies, positioning it as one of Africa’s first Microsoft WHQL- and Intel-certified computer manufacturing brands.
"We were not just building computers," Ekeh emphasized. "We were building a statement that Africa could manufacture to global standards because we had the passion, experience and capacity, and believed the risk was worth taking."
While celebrating these milestones, Ekeh offered a candid assessment of the Nigerian business terrain, noting that the country had both "blessed and bruised" him through controversial patronage and corporate battles. He noted that these structural challenges explain why many potential wealth creators hesitate to endure the arduous path of enterprise building.
He announced that he intends to publish the full chronicle of these experiences in a forthcoming book before the end of 2027.
Shifting focus to the conference’s core demographic, Ekeh highlighted that women hold the keys to national prosperity in the 21st century.
He detailed proactive internal measures within his conglomerate, pointing to TD Africa Distributions Ltd, one of the continent's largest technology distributors, which has trained over 1,000 women in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, software development, data science, and professional etiquette through its TecHerdemy initiative.
Furthermore, he noted that several key business units within the Zinox Group are headed by female chief executives.
Concluding his address, Ekeh urged women leaders to leverage their competence, courage, and determination to break barriers in male-dominated sectors, stressing that true leadership involves building pathways that enable others to ascend.
He recalled returning to a Nigeria where his peers gravitated toward banking and oil and gas, while technology was largely perceived as a foreign domain.
Tracing his academic path from studying Economics in India to pursuing postgraduate qualifications in London, Ekeh revealed that he diverted his Master of Laws (LLM) tuition fees into his passion for technology entrepreneurship, missing his final exams in the process. He also turned down recruitment offers from major international technology firms prior to establishing his footprint in Africa.
"I chose the road not taken," Ekeh told the delegates. "It was corporate suicide in the eyes of my parents and many others. I lost the fear because I believed technology was the master key that would unlock possibilities for Nigeria and Africa."
The journey required immense personal sacrifice, including living on a single meal a day for over three years and sleeping in a cramped office space. When he launched his pioneer company, Task Systems Ltd, over 35 years ago, introducing desktop publishing and computer graphics to Nigeria, he addressed an overcrowded room at the Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, declaring that no nation can claim true independence without technological sovereignty.
Ekeh noted that early support from the Nigerian media helped computerize over 97 per cent of media and multimedia houses across Nigeria and neighboring African countries. This momentum paved the way for the creation of Zinox Technologies, positioning it as one of Africa’s first Microsoft WHQL- and Intel-certified computer manufacturing brands.
"We were not just building computers," Ekeh emphasized. "We were building a statement that Africa could manufacture to global standards because we had the passion, experience and capacity, and believed the risk was worth taking."
While celebrating these milestones, Ekeh offered a candid assessment of the Nigerian business terrain, noting that the country had both "blessed and bruised" him through controversial patronage and corporate battles. He noted that these structural challenges explain why many potential wealth creators hesitate to endure the arduous path of enterprise building.
He announced that he intends to publish the full chronicle of these experiences in a forthcoming book before the end of 2027.
Shifting focus to the conference’s core demographic, Ekeh highlighted that women hold the keys to national prosperity in the 21st century.
He detailed proactive internal measures within his conglomerate, pointing to TD Africa Distributions Ltd, one of the continent's largest technology distributors, which has trained over 1,000 women in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, software development, data science, and professional etiquette through its TecHerdemy initiative.
Furthermore, he noted that several key business units within the Zinox Group are headed by female chief executives.
Concluding his address, Ekeh urged women leaders to leverage their competence, courage, and determination to break barriers in male-dominated sectors, stressing that true leadership involves building pathways that enable others to ascend.
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