LEO-STAN: MORE GARLANDS FOR A HARD MAN

Hardihood defined his visage. Never mind that years of sustained success has smoothened some of the rough angles and age has filled out the trademark craters of his cheeks.

You don’t require a close look to see the resemblance in the facial structure of Leo-Stan Eke and Jack Ma of Alibaba fame. And they have a bit more in common, if you check.

Is it possible that some people could be so maniacally driven that the very act makes their cheeks sunken? But of course, its benign hardihood, the hardihood of people who want to remake the world in their own ‘better’ image.

Leo-Stan, from his story, always had the atlas mindset. It is therefore logical that today, at 65, he sits at the pinnacle of his game.

Though he may have a cupboard brimming with awards but the current one from Forbes, America’s renowned business publication must be the highest affirmation of Leo-Stan’s acclaim. 

He has been conferred with Forbes Best of Africa Leading Tech Icon Award. 

His pioneering role in ICT in Africa and Africa’s biggest market, Nigeria; his innovations, boundless ambition and ability to take IT to Africa’s governmental and public spaces, earned him this global recognition. 

Leo-Stan started Task Systems in the 90s, growing the firm to be among the largest hardware and software distributors in sub-Saharan Africa. 

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Zinox was berthed in 2001, exactly 20 years ago. Today, it’s the largest original equipment manufacturer (OEM) in Nigeria and among the top brands in Africa. 

With such a extended capacity, Leo-Stan launched Computerized Nigeria Initiative (CNI) one of the most ambitious campaign to take the computer to every nook and cranny of Nigeria. 

Subsidized desktops and laptops, giveaways, special school programmes were among the components of CNI.

The campaign was more vigorous and indeed more salutary in government’s ministries, departments and agencies; Leo-Stan may be said to have been instrumental to the expedited   introduction of computers into Nigeria’s boondoggle democracy.

Both at the federal and state levels, Zinox became a public service signature brand.

An adjunct to delivering made-for- Nigeria hardware and software is persistent training. Leo-Stan is said to be almost manic about imparting the new technology to his compatriots as it evolves. 

In his firm lie dozens of training opportunities for the youths and public officials for virtually free. What an MDA or a community needs to do is to set up capacity (a tech savvy resource person to serve as an interface and a suitable venue) Leo-Stan would enable self-enhancing ICT training to workers and youths round the year.

There was a recent example of a State in the southeast where Leo-Stan powered the training of over 5000 students and youths in a streaming multi-themed programmer. At no cost to the State government. 

Zinox has been key driver of the paperless initiative of many state bureaucracies but among the outstanding of these is its work with Nigeria’s Independent National Election Commission (INEC), for whom Zinox has driven its various electronic platforms ranging from Direct Data Capture machines and card reader devices. For over a decade, INEC has deployed these polls hardware and software to deliver credible elections across the country. 

Leo-Stan brought his dominance and overarching influence on Africa’s techbiz to bear when he joined the e-commerce race by founding Yudala. He was to acquire a bigger competitor, Konga to become among the biggest player in the field. 

He is not new to honour and recognition. Nearly two decades ago, former President, Olusegun Obasanjo conferred on him, Officer of the Federal Republic (OFR).

Leo-Stan deserves every accolade he gets plus more. He has lived his seeming tall dreams, he’s a Nigerian icon and a global citizen. 

A man of magnetic impulses, this may well be morning yet.o