Tech visionary and Chairman of Zinox Group, Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh, a long-time pioneer in Africa’s technology sector, has set an ambitious goal to cultivate over 10,000 female tech professionals in the next five years. This initiative positions Zinox Group to become a significant hub for female tech talent on the continent.
This vision is already gaining traction through Zinox’s subsidiary, TD Africa, led by Dr. Ekeh’s wife, Mrs. Chioma Ekeh, a successful business leader in her own right. TD Africa has established itself as a leading force in African tech distribution and training, having developed more certified tech professionals in sub-Saharan Africa than any other organization.
This success is largely attributed to strategic collaborations with global Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) such as HP, IBM, Dell, and Cisco. Mrs. Ekeh’s leadership has been crucial in scaling the company’s impact and driving growth within the industry.
A recent milestone in this mission was the graduation of approximately 400 women from TD Africa’s TecHerdermy program. This achievement aligns with Dr. Ekeh’s long-held belief, expressed over 15 years ago, that women are poised to take on dominant leadership roles, particularly within the technology sector.
Global trends support this foresight. McKinsey’s 2023 “Women in the Workplace” report indicates that companies with gender-diverse executive teams are 25% more likely to achieve above-average profitability. Furthermore, research from the World Economic Forum suggests that economies with greater female labor force participation experience an average of 3.4% higher GDP growth. In the tech industry specifically, Deloitte’s 2023 “Global Technology Leadership Study” revealed that companies with above-average diversity in their technology teams report 30% higher innovation revenue.
The Zinox Group itself exemplifies this philosophy, with over five female CEOs leading various business units within the conglomerate, demonstrably driving positive results. The company’s motto, “anticipating the future,” is reflected in these leaders who embody qualities consistently linked to effective female leadership, such as fostering positive work cultures, maintaining focused execution, demonstrating high emotional intelligence, and bringing resilience to the African tech landscape.
Notably, Zinox Group’s commitment to talent development has fostered a significant ripple effect across Africa’s tech ecosystem, with former employees now leading multinational corporations and carrying forward the values and vision instilled within the organization.
Speaking at a recent AI and Robotics Summit, Dr. Ekeh urged stakeholders to prioritize “competing through exceptional content” to realize Nigeria’s potential, a principle he has championed for over three decades. Despite past setbacks, including substantial losses in early AI and robotics investments, his belief in technology as a transformative force remains steadfast.
Dr. Ekeh consistently emphasizes technology’s unparalleled potential for scale and impact, advocating for its positive applications in creating “good, useful, profitable, and enduring” solutions. His advice to entrepreneurs and tech enthusiasts centers on investing in research, human capital development, and spiritual content, highlighting a holistic approach that values character, vision, and purpose alongside technical expertise.
Dr. Ekeh’s ambitions extend beyond Nigeria, aiming to build “the biggest tech solution company in Africa” and shift the continent’s technological narrative from consumption to creation. With the African tech market projected to reach $712 billion this year and women-led startups demonstrating significantly higher returns on investment, Dr. Ekeh’s focus on empowering women in tech appears both visionary and strategically astute. As Africa increasingly asserts its position in the global digital economy, leaders like Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh suggest that the continent’s technological future may indeed be female-led, and that future is rapidly unfolding.