The Leo Stan Ekeh Foundation (LSEF), established by Africa’s foremost serial digital entrepreneur, Leo Stan Ekeh, last weekend donated a multi-million-naira state-of-the-art AI-Tech Centre to Holy Ghost College, Owerri, Imo State, in a landmark gesture that added prestige and excitement to the school’s 77th anniversary celebration.
The Tech facility, personally supervised by Mr. Ekeh from construction to finishing, is equipped with highly integrated all-in-one Zinox computers, 24-hour iPower solar-powered electricity, and high-speed Starlink corporate internet connectivity, fully subscribed to for the next five years.
Designed as a world-class smart learning environment, the centre also features eco-friendly integrated workstations, modern furniture, and two large AI-enabled interactive screens for real-time online tutorials and digital learning sessions. The facility instantly positions Holy Ghost College among Nigeria’s emerging smart technology-driven secondary schools with the capacity to compete globally.
An alumnus of the institution, Leo Stan Ekeh said the project was inspired by his desire to equip students with the digital skills and global exposure required to thrive in the 21st-century knowledge economy.
“It is my prayer that this centre will produce Nigeria’s next generation of tech-driven billionaires who can create wealth, transform lives, and alter the destinies of millions of Nigerians,” Ekeh stated.
“Many of us who succeeded in business during our time emerged despite limited access to technology and infrastructure, but God helped us. Today’s children have a better opportunity. My dream is that this centre will help build a strong technology culture among young Nigerians; and through strategic partnerships with globally recognized consultants, we will deliver certified AI training and content, establishing this institution as a premier, world-class technology hub.
According to him, plans are already underway to transform the centre into a certified training hub for global technology brands including Microsoft, Cisco, Oracle, and Starlink.
“We are recruiting a Director for the Tech Centre and other support staff to ensure effective management and sustainability. Beyond technology training, we are also introducing structured mentorship programmes focused on ethics, leadership, finishing school culture, transparent communication, and modern approaches to engaging today’s digitally exposed generation,” he added.
Ekeh disclosed that through his foundation and companies under the Zinox Group, similar projects have quietly been implemented in over 123 primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions across Nigeria since 1996.
He further revealed that after completing several ongoing intervention projects within the next 12 months, the Foundation would intensify focus on its recently launched 1,000 Tech University Scholarships initiative for indigent Nigerian students.
“It is our own way of giving back to society, appreciating Nigerians who supported our businesses over the years, and helping to build world-class human capital that will drive the future growth of our nation,” he said.
Ekeh also announced plans to refurbish one of the school’s hostels into a fully intelligent hostel fitted with AI-enabled amenities to encourage academic excellence and healthy competition among students.
“It will become a privilege to be accommodated there. Every student resident in the hostel will receive a congratulatory letter from the Foundation alongside a token gift. We need to deliberately reset the mindset of our young people towards global competitiveness if we must secure a better future,” he said.
Speaking further, Ekeh described the AI-Tech Centre as one of the first of its kind in South-East Nigeria and urged students to take full advantage of the opportunities it presents.
“In the 21st century, ICT has become one of the greatest equalizers. Technology gives children from humble backgrounds the opportunity to compete globally and transform their destinies,” he noted.
He also encouraged students to apply for the ongoing 1,000 Tech University Scholarships programme instituted by the Leo Stan Ekeh Foundation in partnership with Zinox Technologies, TD Africa, Task Systems, and Konga Group. Interested applicants can access full details via the scholarship banner on konga.com.
Ekeh assured the school that personnel managing the centre would receive proper training and competitive remuneration to maintain world-class operational standards.
He further announced that at least seven secondary schools across Nigeria would benefit from similar infrastructure projects within the next one year, including mini-ICT centres and residential apartments for teachers and knowledge workers.
Sharing personal insights from his entrepreneurial journey, Ekeh told the students that technology had created many of the world’s leading billionaires, including Elon Musk and Bill Gates, urging them to take ICT education seriously.
“In life, many are called, but few are chosen. You can become among the chosen if you acquire the right digital skills with the right mindset. This centre offers that opportunity,” he told the students.
In solidarity with the initiative, Chief Jerry Chukwueke, Chairman of Germaine Group, a longtime friend of Ekeh and a successful son of Imo state, donated N10 million to the school.
The Leo Stan Ekeh Foundation AI-Tech Centre was formally inaugurated by the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri, Most Rev. Lucius Ugorji, assisted by Mr. Cosmas Ibe, an alumnus of the college.
Archbishop Ugorji commended Ekeh for what he described as a “Godly and noble gesture borne purely out of love and genuine commitment to education, not political ambition.”
He charged the students to make proper use of the facility and protect it responsibly.
“Take ownership of this centre. Preserve it, do not vandalize it, and use it to become experts in ICT and responsible leaders of tomorrow,” he admonished.
The Principal of Holy Ghost College, Rev. Dr. Samuel Agu, also expressed profound appreciation to the Ekeh family, describing the intervention as a transformative investment capable of producing future leaders not only in ICT but across different sectors of society.
Similarly, the Imo State Commissioner for Primary and Secondary Education, Prof. Bernard-Thompson Ikegwuoha, praised Ekeh for contributing meaningfully to the ongoing transformation of the state’s educational ecosystem.
He described Ekeh as “a worthy ambassador of Imo State and a shining example of purposeful philanthropy and visionary leadership.”
