… Secures $25m funding
One of Nigeria’s ICT Companies, Zinox Technologies, has secured a whopping $25 million counterpart funding with which it seeks to roll out a trio of digital hubs in Nigeria.
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.
This much was revealed by Chairman of Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh when the Acting Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Dr. Vincent Olatunji as well as other executives of the agency paid an official working visit to the Zinox headquarters in Gbagada, Lagos.
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 ones with 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.
“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.
