Given its state of digital readiness, coupled with the large number of digitally trained youths who are now tech savvy, the founder, Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh, has said Edo State has the potential to become a model for digital economy in Nigeria.
The Zinox boss gave the assertion recently, while speaking during a smart exploratory visit to Benin, the Edo State capital for likely expansion and investment purposes.
The serial digital entrepreneur, who seized the opportunity to pay a courtesy call on the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, expressed surprise at the massive rate of digital adoption in the state, even as he declared that Edo boasts ready whiz kids who can defend the state and Nigeria in the 21st Century.
‘‘The wealth of Edo State lies not in its current Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) profile, its population or level of infrastructural development in the state, but in its growing army of digitally ready youths, many of whom will become certified and sustained billionaires in the nearest future,’’ Ekeh stated.
The Zinox boss, who was conducted round some of the tech hubs in the state in company of some of his management staff, expressed amazement at the brilliance of the youths he encountered at the centres, among whom were software developers and coders, digital graphic artists, social media creatives, fashion designers and automobile technicians, among others.
Ekeh, who also addressed specifically the young girls in the hubs, encouraged them to keep up building up their capacities, even as he assured them that they are bound to become global leaders soon as it is now more an extra blessing to have girls than boys in this century, noting that by the second quarter of the century, billionaires would no longer be assessed by their monetary values or gender, but by their future earnings and family values.
The Zinox Chairman hailed the cultured disposition of the young ladies, jokingly noting that if he were to marry today, he will go for a tech savvy Edo girl already prepared to rule the world.
He affirmed that the pandemic turned out to be a blessing in disguise, saying a state like Edo, for instance, has taken advantage of it to double down on its embrace of technology, while some states may not have been conscious of using digital tools to upgrade the knowledge of their citizens.
“It is obvious that the COVID-19 pandemic and its encumbrances has helped Edo State turn more attention to transforming the state into a digital economy.
“This is highly commendable. Although the current wave of digital revolution was birthed by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has also dedicated huge attention to the importance of building a digital economy in Nigeria, especially with the renaming of the Ministry of Communications and the appointment of Dr. Ali Isa Pantami, a digitally-savvy professional to man it,” Ekeh said.
He commended Obaseki for bringing his exposure to bear in building knowledge base in the state, adding that the state has gone about the initiative without making a noise about it.
Obaseki on his part, emphasised the determination of his administration to leave a lasting legacy in the state through a deliberate focus on technology.
“My administration will continue to pursue policies and programmes to enhance digital transformation for businesses in the state, so as to increase their competitive advantage, improve performance and boost growth.
‘‘For us as government, our role is to create an enabling environment; an environment for people to be successful. It is evident, over the last four years, how we have focused on the electrification of Edo state, human capacity building and other notable projects to drive the state’s economy,’’ Obaseki stated.
