As he turns 70 on February 22, 2026, Africa’s foremost tech entrepreneur and Chairman of Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh, has chosen impact over indulgence.
Instead of hosting a lavish celebration to mark his milestone birthday, Ekeh is committing to fund 1,000 university scholarships for indigent Nigerian students to study Computer Science in federal universities across the country.
The initiative, he says, is designed to build a new generation of tech-driven leaders who can strengthen Nigeria’s public and private sector competitiveness.
According to Ekeh, the beneficiaries “who will not be bonded, shall disrupt global wealth equation in favour of Nigeria and defend our tech independence.”
Selection criteria and structure
Selection for the scholarship will be based on a nationwide assessment of minimum Intelligent Quotient (IQ) and age.
The programme targets students from poor homes and families whose parents earn below Government Level 10 or its equivalent in the private sector.
Beyond tuition support, the initiative is structured as a holistic development pipeline. Beneficiaries will be exposed to global standards, mentorship, and multi-disciplinary learning beyond core technology studies.
Speaking in a phone interview, Ekeh said:
“Each shall have a tech mentor from year one, as I plan a partnership with Computer Society of Nigeria and every vocation they shall be engaged resourcefully. Beneficiaries shall be from poor homes and those with parents who earn below Government Level 10 and its equivalent in the private sector.
The first batch starts this September, and I expect each to earn first class degree. This is my Group of companies’ and my little way of appreciating my country, individuals and corporates that gave us the opportunities in the last 40 years and still patronizing our Tech Group, Task Systems, TD Africa, Zinox Technologies, Konga etc. If we are successful with this spiritual mandate, I can then celebrate my 100 years on earth with a bang. With God and AI, I am aiming to make 120 years.”
Why Ekeh believes Nigeria must act now
Ekeh, who has largely avoided elaborate birthday celebrations in the past, says the decision aligns with his long-standing belief that technology remains Nigeria’s most realistic pathway to economic transformation.
“We need quality and tech-savvy wiz-kids who can drive the future of government and e-governance and those who will become change-makers in the private sector,” he said.
He warned that Nigeria risks technological dependency if it fails to deliberately build indigenous talent capable of managing the anticipated expansion in oil and gas, banking, agriculture, manufacturing, mining, entertainment, and the public sector over the next decade.
“I have been blessed and bruised in this country and I thank God. Frankly, I don’t see enough Nigerian tech wiz-kids who can defend the massive development anticipated in the next 5 – 10 years… We are becoming slaves in our own country in a knowledge century which is unfortunate.
…only four God-anointed tech wiz-kids can alter the GDP of this country in five years. The man who controls your tech resources decides your profit level and how far your country and corporations can grow in this second quarter of the 21st Century and in future.”
The tech entrepreneur, who was decorated as “Icon of Hope” by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003, added:
“The future is here but very fragile and disruptive, it’s either you are something or nothing at all. No middle ground. We need to alter the digital trajectories of our people. Technology is realistically the only profession in the world today that can alter the destiny of brilliant and humble kids from poor families and position them as huge wealth creators and sustainers.
Though I am not really from a very poor family, but I am a testimony and shall tell the whole story in my book that shall be published last quarter of 2027. It shall be most revealing.
This is my additional contribution amongst others to appreciate Nigerians, the Federal Government, sub- nationals and corporations that have been supporting my tech commitments and innovations on this side of the Atlantic.”
Cost implications and long-term commitment
On the financial commitment required to execute the project, Ekeh described it as “a spirit-driven project.”
“It is a spirit-driven project to thank those who supported and are still supporting companies within the Zinox Group. It has an annual cost that shall run into billions of Naira and my group is committed to it amongst other social responsibility projects like TD Africa Project to produce 10,000 female tech experts out of which 400 have graduated and are fully employed in different corporates in Nigeria. This is a 10-year project with other perks. The full package shall be revealed online on April 22, 2026.”
The scholarship scheme adds to a portfolio of human capital development initiatives undertaken by Ekeh and the Zinox Group over the past four decades.
His companies have trained over 3,000 Nigerians and donated tech centres to more than 25 institutions nationwide.
Through the Leo Stan Ekeh Foundation (LSEF) and affiliated companies, the group has also launched entrepreneurship centres at St. Augustine University, Epe; Federal University, Birnin Kebbi; and Imo State University (IMSU), among others. These centres focus on upskilling young Nigerians, providing stipends, mentorship, digital devices, and in some cases, interest-free loans to support business take-off.
A philosophy of capitalism with empathy
Ekeh, a devout Catholic from Ubomiri in Imo State and former mass servant and chorister, has consistently drawn a distinction between profit and purpose.
He believes capitalism must wear a human face and often reiterates that no one comes into the world with cash nor leaves with it.
At the dedication of a church he built in his hometown, he reflected on his journey:
“I come from a lineage of people who served God dedicatedly. I think I am a miracle child… I saw myself as an only Child even though I have siblings and, as an orphan even though my parents were alive… so I decided to take the pain before pleasure alone.
I love God and will never hesitate to do anything in the service of God and humanity… As a mark of God’s mercy to me, I pay corporate tithes for all my companies. I didn’t read it in the Bible but I do it.”
He once told journalists:
“God is the architect of my success… As an entrepreneur, I have strategised, stayed up late, made projections but if there was no mercy of God and His grace to help me implement these, there will be no success… I work an average of 20 hours a day and near zero holidays and I have no health challenges.”
The bigger picture
For Ekeh, the 1,000-student scholarship programme is only “a tiny drop in the ocean” of his philanthropic commitments.
However, in the context of Nigeria’s widening digital skills gap and increasing dependence on foreign expertise, the initiative could represent a strategic intervention, one aimed at shifting the country from tech consumption to tech sovereignty.
As Nigeria grapples with AI disruption and global economic realignment, Ekeh’s 70th birthday may ultimately be remembered less for the age milestone and more for the human capital investment he hopes will outlive him.
