L-R: Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh and the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki |
Ekeh made this known on Monday, April 12, 2021 during a smart exploratory visit to Benin, the Edo State capital for likely expansion and investment purposes.
The Nigerian businessman, and philanthropist, who seized the
opportunity to pay a courtesy call on the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki,
expressed his surprise at the massive rate of digital adoption in the state,
even as he declared that Edo boasts ready whiz kids who can defend the state
and Nigeria in the 21st Century.
‘‘The wealth of Edo State lies not in its current Internally
Generated Revenue (IGR) profile, its population or level of infrastructural
development in the state but in its growing army of digitally ready youths,
many of whom will become certified and sustained billionaires in the nearest
future,’’ Ekeh stated.
Chairman of Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh in one of the fashion houses in Edo State |
Ekeh, who also addressed specifically the young girls in the
hubs, encouraged them to keep up building up their capacities, even as he
assured them that they are bound to become global leaders soon as it is now
more an extra blessing to have girls than boys in this century, noting that by
the second quarter of the century, billionaires would no longer be assessed by
their monetary values or gender, but by their future earnings and family values.
The Zinox Chairman hailed the cultured disposition of the
young ladies, jokingly noting that if he were to marry today, he will go for a
tech savvy Edo girl already prepared to rule the world.
‘‘This was how I took a decision those old days when I
married my wife as a knowledge star with a First Class in Mathematics, a
UK-certified accountant with an MBA. Be proud of your state and country of
birth and the knowledge privileges you are enjoying under Governor Obaseki and
continue to pray for good leadership. Your Governor has made all of you global
citizens because you have great value to add to the society as wealth creators
and not a burden to the society,’’ he counselled the youths.
He affirmed that the coronavirus pandemic has turned out to
be a blessing in disguise, stating that a state like Edo, for instance, has
taken advantage of it to double down on its embrace of technology, while some
states may not have been conscious of using digital tools to upgrade the
knowledge of their citizens.
‘‘I felt the power of enforced digital knowledge in February
when I celebrated my birthday. I received over 12,000 messages through texts,
WhatsApp, Facebook, emails, etc. It was impossible to reply all well-wishers.
After a few days, I woke up one morning to pray for all persons and
organisations that wished me well including Mr. President. It was unprecedented
but that reassured me that I did not waste my 36 years of preaching digital
democracy and doing IT evangelism.
‘‘It is obvious that the COVID-19 pandemic and its
encumbrances has helped Edo State turn more attention to transforming the state
into a digital economy. This is highly commendable. Although the current wave
of digital revolution was birthed by the administration of former President
Olusegun Obasanjo, the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has
also dedicated huge attention to the importance of building a digital economy
in Nigeria, especially with the renaming of the Ministry of Communications and
the appointment of Dr. Ali Isa Pantami, a digitally-savvy professional to man
it.’’
Ekeh commended Obaseki for bringing his exposure to bear in
building a knowledge base in the state, adding that the state has gone about
the initiative without making a noise about it. Further, the Zinox boss
disclosed that the benefits of leveraging technology in all facets of human
endeavour cannot be over-emphasised in the 21st Century, even as he reiterated
that it is the only resource today that can bridge the gap between the haves
and the have-nots.
Also speaking at the event, Obaseki emphasised the
determination of his administration to leave a lasting legacy in the state
through a deliberate focus on technology.
‘‘While receiving the Founder Zinox Group, Mr. Leo Ekeh, I
reassured that my administration will continue to pursue policies and
programmes to enhance digital transformation for businesses in the state, so as
to increase their competitive advantage, improve performance and boost growth.
‘‘For us as government, our role is to create an enabling
environment; an environ for people to be successful. It is evident, over the
last four years, how we have focused on the electrification of Edo state, human
capacity building and other notable projects to drive the state’s economy,’’
Obaseki stated.
Meanwhile, Zinox, one of the Infrastructure Companies
(Infracos) licensed by the Federal Government, is expected to roll out a
multi-billion-naira broadband deployment in the entire 95 local government
areas in the South East, a project which analysts believe will unleash the
sheer human capital potential of the region and transform it into an investors’
delight.
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