Curled from Zinox website
Zinox Technologies, foremost ICT Company has
secured a whopping $25m counterpart funding
with which it seeks to roll out a trio of digital
hubs in Nigeria, as part of efforts to generate
creative employment and increase the share of
contribution from the Information and
secured a whopping $25m counterpart funding
with which it seeks to roll out a trio of digital
hubs in Nigeria, as part of efforts to generate
creative employment and increase the share of
contribution from the Information and
Communications Technology (ICT) sector to
Nigeria's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The
digital hubs, one of which has commenced
construction in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State
capital will, among other things, create
employment and empower thousands of digitally-
minded Nigerian youths in search of the right
platforms to develop their skills. Same with the
one located in Abuja which is nearing completion
and all things being equal will become active by
early 2017.
With the current improvements raising hopes of
stability in public power supply by early 2017, the
company plans to install the digital plants and
commence production shortly. This much was
revealed by Leo Stan Ekeh, chairman of Zinox
Group when Dr. Vincent Olatunji, acting Director
General, National Information Technology
Development Agency (NITDA), as well as other
executives of the agency paid an official working
visit to the Zinox headquarters in Gbagada,
Lagos last week.
According to Ekeh, the Nigerian economy is in
dire need of an alternative to crude oil - a role
which the ICT sector can effortlessly play in
boosting the nation's dwindling earnings. In the
view of the Zinox boss, Nigeria has millions of
young Nigerians of digital mindset with the
potential to become dollar billionaires.
Referencing the case of Nigerian start-up and
pioneer composite e-commerce outfit Yudala
which received little funding from investors and
within one year is a leading e-commerce brand in
Nigeria employing over 400 graduates, Ekeh
disclosed that their strength is not cash but
knowledge of the business backed with strong
front and back-end technologies. Ekeh affirmed
that thousands of such brilliant kids exist in the
country, even as he urged the government to
partner with technologically-minded companies in
unearthing such raw digital diamonds in the
country.
"A simple app developed by a Nigerian which
achieves global acceptance could usher such an
individual into the league of billionaires while
putting the country on the world map.
"I had a similar experience when Zinox acquired
an Ibadan-based software company Xputer. The
young chaps behind Xputer were so talented and
had huge capacity to develop amazing content
but no individual, corporate or government saw
any potential in them. Some of the apps
developed by these young Nigerians are being
used today by e-commerce companies in Nigeria
which they would have paid millions of dollars
for, had it been developed by foreign companies.
"With the digital hubs, we are looking to generate
creative employment for our youth while creating
the much-needed enabling environment and
platform for more of these youths to develop
their capacities and unleash their creative
abilities. This is part of our contribution towards
reducing the scourge of unemployment and
boosting the revenue-earning streams of the
government. We are the last company in the
country that will retrench quality Nigerian staff.
In fact, our investment in digital hubs will provide
jobs for 500 Nigerians, with more expected to
benefit from other investments set to commence
once the economy stabilizes," he enthused.
The NITDA DG, who was led on a guided tour of
the company by the Zinox Chairman, witnessed
first-hand the various infrastructure and facilities
within the premises including the digital
computer hardware manufacturing and assembly
plant, telecoms e-Hub unit, Data Centre,
bandwidth aggregation, digital security
infrastructures and warehousing facilities as well
as integrated after-sales service and support
centre, among others.
Speaking during the visit, Dr. Olatunji affirmed
the commitment of the agency in partnering with
Zinox Technologies in the task of empowering
the youth through the provision of requisite
capacity-building programmes and initiatives. Dr.
Olatunji who expressed delight with the
infrastructure and facilities on display at the
Zinox headquarters during the tour of the
company premises, disclosed that NITDA is keen
to empower tech start-ups as a means of
promoting opportunities in non-oil sectors, noting
that a partnership with Zinox Technologies will go
a long way in helping to achieve this aim.
"We cannot talk about the ICT sector in Nigeria
and indeed in Africa without mentioning Zinox.
Zinox has been in the forefront of the digital
revolution on the continent and has continued to
play a major role. You have shown extreme world
class capacity and passion as a leader in the
sector and this is why we have come on this
visit to restate our commitment towards working
with Zinox to achieve our objectives of
empowering tech start-ups and boosting the
revenue profile of the ICT sector."
While noting that the government under the
leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari was
committed to supporting local entrepreneurships,
particularly in the ICT sector, Dr. Olatunji further
solicited the support of Zinox Technologies in
partnering with the agency ahead of GITEX 2016
Technology Week slated for October. Organized
by the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), GITEX
2016 will feature local technology start-ups, with
NITDA facilitating Nigeria's participation at three
levels including the Nigerian Pavilion, Nigerian
Startups cobs inside the Innovation Hub, and the
Gitex Africa Investment Forum being co-
managed by the NITDA and the DWTC.
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