Despite his numerous landmark achievements in the ICT sector, serial digital entrepreneur, Leo Stan Ekeh has sensationally declared himself an orphan in the digital business world, noting that his success and achievements can only be put down to his reliance on God and dint of hard work. Ekeh made this declaration during a revealing and incisive talk to select postgraduate students and aspiring entrepreneurs in Dubai Marina, UAE on Monday August 17^th while sharing success tips with the participants on overcoming Africa’s peculiar and challenging business terrain, with the renowned ICT pioneer using himself as a case study for the interaction.

“Although my parents are late, I still have siblings. However, I see myself as an only child and an orphan in the digital business world as my success tools remain the dependence and reliance on God, hard work and innovation. Seeing myself as an orphan and an only child guides me in digital business decisions because if it fails, you cry alone. With this, I apply great caution in business decisions and that is why my entire family members are in technology business because we understand the A – Z as it is a knowledge-driven business and you need only God as a main Godfather and quality friends to support you. Technology business does not lie.

According to him, venturing into entrepreneurship requires a determination to take pains before pleasure. Hence, an aspiring entrepreneur must see himself not only as an only child but also as someone who wants to earn the position of a Field Marshall in the Army after conquering many creative wars. He referred those of them who are Christians to 1 Corinthians 9:24 as a guide in joining the race of entrepreneurship.

Ekeh cautioned the participants to look out for the gaps in business which could lead to insolvency, while affirming that success comes with various pitfalls including malicious attacks and blackmail from competition and other faceless individuals.

“I have faced numerous blackmails and campaigns of calumny from various quarters, even from people who have no offices and are just out to rubbish my name. This is part of the problems we have in Africa. However, I urge you all to see these as part of the perks of being successful as no one throws stones at an unripe mango. My happiness stems from the fact that despite all these, a few people still appreciate quality and integrity, hence I urge you all to remain on the path of worthy greatness. In all the accolades I have received, two of them remain dear to me: the Icon of Hope Award presented to me by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Nigeria Independence Day celebration on October 1st 2002 and my selection by the EFCC as Special Personality to cut the 5^th Anniversary stamp as a worthy Nigerian. These are some of the things that keep me going,” he enthused.

Sharing experiences from his beginnings, Ekeh noted that business success begins from childhood as the decisions taken in that stage of one’s life go a long way in shaping the future.

“Success in business as an entrepreneur is not down to serendipity or a chance occurrence. It begins from childhood: who you want to be, personal discomforts or sacrifices you are willing to take in order to build a strong foundation for your business destination. As a young child growing up, I had taken a decision to abstain from alcohol and cigarettes because as an entrepreneur you need to be reasonably principled and sane to continuously interpret and guard the DNA of your business. I am not saying you should not drink or smoke, but in my case I like to test my capacity as number one in everything I do except in education. Without that discipline, perhaps I would have been a drug addict or a drunk as entrepreneurs go through intense depressions occasionally and you need something to excite you but you just have to pray it is nothing destructive that could negatively alter your brand equity in the market place.”

While declaring that the 21^st century does not require collateral to build wealth, Ekeh identified integrity as the biggest collateral he had relied on in his over 29 years of outstanding achievements.

“My strategy from childhood as a poor fellow was to cause disruptions hence the decision to venture into technology which allows room for constant innovation. Nevertheless, I have always held fast to integrity as my biggest collateral. This has gone a long way in helping me gain the confidence of various multinational partners we do business with. I have discovered the only way I can sustain my dominance in the market place is through constant innovation and this is tied to sleeping less and eating healthy. Added to this is the over 18 hours I put in every day together with my wife who, apart from God, has been my greatest strength when strategies and tactics fail temporarily.

“It is important that in that hunger to be successful, you institute strong auditable systems and structures, this is the only way to sustain your business. In Africa, you have a lot of portfolio billionaires who are also classified as entrepreneurs. These are publicly perceived billionaires created overnight by their respective governments based on political connections. Some of these people don’t have offices not to talk of Accountants and HR executives. Avoid these people because their end lies with the government in power. You have been trained and exposed to be better than all present billionaires and the future is better than today because you have less clannish burden waiting for you plus you have age on your side.”

Ekeh who has overseen a number of pioneering efforts in the ICT sector in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa, charged the participants to leverage on the limitless opportunities on the continent to create and sustain wealth. He rounded off by advising them on the need to take street-wise decisions such as avoiding excess bank loans where possible and working hard to achieve ownership of their office space and personal residences to avoid competitors causing disruption in their business life in a continent with very weak legal structure.

Noting that every entrepreneur has a divine call from God to fulfill on earth in order to make heaven, Ekeh disclosed that his own call is to create thousands of creative and futuristic jobs in Africa.

“Though I have not had the greatest support of my government to achieve this, but I assure you, I am almost at the point of realizing this and this would be soon as I have found a most creative platform to achieve it and I assure before I retire soon, I shall support platforms that help me achieve this ambition. It is, therefore, important that in that ultra-ambition to create and enjoy wealth, you realize early enough what that special call from God is all about and try to fulfil them on earth,” he concluded.