Zinox chairman donates tech experience centre to Federal University Birnin Kebbi - ITREALMS

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The Federal University Birnin Kebbi (FUB) received a significant boost in its quest to produce globally competitive graduates, following the donation of a multimillion-naira Tech Experience Centre by the Leo Stan Ekeh Foundation (LSEF).

The facility, donated by Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh, Chairman of Zinox Group and Founder of LSEF, was commissioned on his behalf by the President of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), Dr. Muhammad Sirajo Aliyu.

Zinox chairman @France–Nigeria Investment Forum: Tech ecosystem ready to power investments - ITREALMS

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The 2024's France–Nigeria Investment Forum ended on a sound note and was mutually rewarding for both countries.

For some of us who have attended a few such forums in the past, this year’s edition stands out as the best from a Nigerian perspective, especially because of the organization and selection of relevant, successful Nigerian entrepreneurs who attended.

Revealed! Why Benjamin Joseph is blackmailing Zinox Chairman says Princess Kama - ITREALMS

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Princess Kama, the erstwhile business partner of Benjamin Joseph, owner of Citadel Oracle Concepts Limited, an Ibadan-based ICT retail firm, has broken her silence over a long-drawn dispute involving a N170m contract with the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) which has seen Mr. Benjamin Joseph standing trial for falsely petitioning the Federal Government, alleging that the Zinox Chairman, Leo Stan Ekeh and others colluded in defrauding it and his company in executing the said contract.

Princess disclosed to ITREALMS that Benjamin is an ingrate who attempted to get her support in diverting Mr. Ekeh’s company fund and join in a smear campaign against Mr. Ekeh, while also expressing surprise that the matter was still a subject of debate in the courts and in the media.

Zinox chairman, Ekeh to preside News Express 5th lecture

ITRealms:

The Nigerian serial Information and Communication Technology (ICT) entrepreneur, Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh has been confirmed to preside the News Express 5th anniversary lecture scheduled to hold at Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday, September 28, 2017, reports ITRealms.

Confirming this to ITRealms on Saturday in Lagos, the publisher by News Express, Isaac Umunna, expressed delight on the choice of Ekeh.

“We are honoured to have Chief Ekeh, Chairman of foremost Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Company, Zinox Technologies Ltd., and pioneer of online publishing in Nigeria, accept to chair the News Express 5th anniversary lecture. With him directing affairs, we are confident of delivering an event that will meet the expectations of all who would attend,” Umunna said.

The Lecture, with “National Unity and the Demand for Restructuring” as theme, has Niger State Governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, as Guest Speaker. He will speak on “National Unity and the Demand for Restructuring — A Governor’s Perspective.”

Governor Sani Bello will be supported by an array of distinguished personalities from Nigeria and abroad whose identities would be made public in due course.

ITRealms recalls that News Express, which debuted on August 29, 2012, is one of Nigeria’s most popular and influential online dailies. It is read by hundreds of thousands of people around the world and records annual traffic of upwards of 100 million.

Nonye Dom/ED, ops

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Zinox chairman, Ekeh, governors, service chiefs, Dangote, others for GOCOP confab’17

ITRealms:

A group for the highest strata of Nigerian media professionals in online publishing, the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), has secured firm assurances of the presence of eminent Nigerians at its 2017 conference, reports ITRealms.

The conference themed: “Sustaining Growth through Diversification of the Economy,” ITRealms reports would hold Thursday, August 10, 2017 at Renaissance Hotel, Isaac John Street, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos.

GOCOP Publicity Secretary, Olumide Iyanda, in a press statement made available to ITRealms, disclosed that the Chairman, Zinox Technologies group, Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh, Governors Nyesom Wike, Abdulafatah Ahmed and Darius Ishaku of Rivers, Kwara and Taraba States respectively, have confirmed their presence at the conference as Special Guests.

Others are the Minister for Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai; the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar; the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas; the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris; and Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi.

Also confirmed are the President, Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; the Group Chairman, Mutual Assurance Plc, Chief Akin Ogunbiyi; the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria LNG, Tony Attah; the Director, United Nations Information Centre in Nigeria, Ronald Kayanja; and the Founder, Oodua People’s Congress, Dr. Frederick Fasehun.

Keynote speakers at the conference are university teacher, Prof. Akin Onigbinde; the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Bayo Onanuga; and a former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi.

Former Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of the Sun Newspapers and now the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, Femi Adesina; and the Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of New Telegraph Newspapers and also the President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Funke Egbemode, will participate in the discussion.

A new GOCOP executive council will be inaugurated at the conference.

Ayo Midele/GEE

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Zinox chairman, Ekeh applauds FG over local content executive order

ITRealms:

The chairman of Zinox Group, Dr. Leo-Stan Ekeh has applauded the Federal Government (FG) on the recent signing of an Executive Order compelling its agencies to buy Made-in-Nigeria goods and services, reports ITRealms.

This move, Ekeh noted, would go a long way in boosting indigenous businesses and the local content drive in the country.

Speaking on this at the weekend in Lagos, Ekeh said that the order, signed by the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo last Thursday dwelt mostly on the preference for indigenous goods and services as well as the removal of bureaucracies which stall businesses. 

ITRealms recalls that the stipulated Executive Order, as detailed in a document presented by Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah, stated that all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government shall grant preference to local manufacturers of goods and service providers in their procurement processes for a number of items including food and beverages, motor vehicles, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) products, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, furniture and fittings, among others.

Thus reacting, Ekeh commended the FG’s move as a step in the right direction and a potential game-changer for many quality-minded local businesses in Nigeria.

“This announcement alone would have excited an army of 21^st Century young Nigerian entrepreneurs who have been facing depression based on rejection of their certified products by government agencies and parastatals. It is a great development in our new Nigeria and I pray the Federal Government demonstrates the will to implement this to the letter in order to activate real and progressive development in the country. As you know, this policy direction will potentially result in massive job creation for our youths.

“Granting preference to local manufacturers is a sure way of igniting the spirit of indigenous entrepreneurship. This is the standard the world over. Nigeria boasts a number of world-class companies whose products can compete favourably with those of their foreign counterparts. The problem has always been the right form of support from the government.

“Zinox, for instance, is patronized by a number of multinationals. Apart from Chevron Nigeria who remain one of our most regular customers, we have also enjoyed consistent patronage from other multinationals such as Total and Shell. Some of these companies – Chevron, Shell, Total have been patronizing Zinox for over 14 years and this is based purely on service quality as we all know the high standards these companies aspire to.

“I must commend the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo for this bold move which will certainly go a long way in strengthening our local industries, provide more employment for our youths and boost our local currency,” Ekeh declared.

Recollecting that Osinbajo had signed three Executive Orders giving specific instructions on a number of policy issues. They include the promotion of transparency and efficiency in the business environment designed to facilitate the ease of doing business in the country; timely submission of annual budgetary estimates by all statutory and non-statutory agencies, including companies owned by the Federal Government and the support for local contents in public procurement by the Federal Government.

“Any document issued by any MDA of government for the solicitation of offers, bids, proposals or quotations for the supply or provision of goods and services shall expressly indicate preference to be granted to domestic manufacturers, contractors and service providers and the information required to establish the eligibility of a bid for such preference.

“All solicitation documents shall require bidders or potential manufacturers, suppliers, contractors and consultants to provide a verifiable statement on the local content of the goods and services to be provided.

“Made in Nigeria shall be given overwhelming preference or at least 40% of the procurement spend on locally manufactured goods and services providers. Some priority items include: uniforms and footwear, food and beverages, motor vehicles, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, Information and Communication Technology, furniture and fittings and stationery.

“Within 90 days of this order, the heads of MDAs shall assess the monitoring, enforcement, implementation and compliance with this Executive Order and Local Content stipulations in the Public Procurement Act, or any relevant act within their agencies,” the document had stated.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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