17 December 2008
Lagos — THE Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Engr. Ernest Ndukwe, pennultimate week, at the South East Economic Summit organised by one of the Nigerian daily newspapers, tongue- lashed the South-East governors and their states over the poor penetration of ICT and charged them to ensure that from next year, their citizens would be added in the global village where world information system supports no segregation.
But little did Ndukwe know that what was worrying him in the poor penetration of ICT in the South east was giving two prominent south east citizens, the Executive governor of Enugu state, Barr Sullivan Chime and the Chairman of Zinox Technologies, Chief Leo Stan Ekeh, sleepless nights.
However, the duo of Chime and Ekeh, did not fail to maximize those sleepless nights as the situation provided good opportunity to think on how to leverage the south eastern citizens particularly of Enugu state, to the digital platform.
The result was that as Ndukwe was speaking, plans were already in full swing to connect the whole of Enugu state environment to the super WIFI and today, it is confirmed that come January next year, the test run of the project will kick off in all parts of the state capital.
The test run according to the two partners, would enable those living in Enugu to connect to the internet where ever they may be, within the State capital, free of charge for six months.
Ndukwe had at the ocassion said that while the federal government was trying its best to see that Nigeria remained at the forefront of global information revolution, states and their respective local governments must take responsibility for ensuring that their citizens have access to the vital tool of modern age.
And so with this development, people of Enugu state would scale into modern platforms like e-governance, e-Learning, e-Security, tele-Medicine for effective rural health Management and e-agriculture among others.
Besides, Governor Chime, can beat his chest and boast of having delivered on his promise to the people of Enugu State whom he has consistently assured that his works shall speak for him.
Explaining how the deal was brokered, Enugu State Commissioner for Information, Mr Chuks Ugokwe, said that after looking at the developmental benefits of a knowledge driven society, the state government had to enter into Partnership with Zinox Technologies Ltd to deliver the SUPER WIFI brand also known as the Zinox Wireless cloud.
Ugwoke also noted that access to the internet and the World Wide Web is the first phase of his governor's action plan, adding that the Governor is a man of few words and has severally assured the people of Enugu State that the state will become a knowledge driven society by the time he completes his assignment.
According to him, "we have the commitment of Zinox to deliver, test run, and commission world class infrastructure soonest, and we are sure to deliver because we have just completed all documentation".
Meanwhile, Head Corporate Affairs of Zinox Group, Mr. Echika Ezuka has also confirmed that Zinox is in partnership with Enugu state government to deliver digital democratic dividends to the good people of Enugu State. He said that Zinox is encouraged by the fact that few of the new state Governors are now empowering their citizens with access to the information highway which is actually the freedom to succeed.
Ezuka said that Enugu State shall become a national model like Yobe state by the time the facility is commissioned, adding that the deal in Enugu was the company's launch pad for the Eastern part of Nigeria.
He said that the Zinox Wireless cloud is the only way to promote cost effective knowledge democracy in a state, as there would be equal access for the poor and the rich to the global knowledge domain.
Ezuka said, "this is the way to go if we must build world-class capacity to achieve the objectives of vision 20:2020. Zinox is pioneering Super wifi in Nigeria and we are promising that on the first day at least 8,000 people in Enugu state capital shall connect to the Internet without hassles, thus unleashing the boundless potentials of the internet. This is what the Zinox Wireless cloud is all about - Freedom to succeed and thereafter Enugu state shall deploy this platform for e-governance - real e-Learning, e-Security, tele-Medicine for effective rural health Management, e-agriculture etc" he added.
Ezuka also revealed that Zinox presently owns her own hub and shall in the new year invest over N3b (Three Billion Naira) in the first leg of deploying her own Transponder for secure and cost effective Bandwidth to ring the country. He said this was in the Zinox Group's new move to deliver knowledge democracy nation wide, believing that the desire to develop Nigeria would remain a pipe dream if nothing urgent is done to promote world-class capacity building.
He said part of the plan was to create a leveraging platform for creative but disadvantaged Nigerians, to the global scene. An idea which he confirmed has engaged both the Group Chairman, Mr. Leo-Stan Ekeh, and his e-Strategy team for some time now.
Zinox Technologies, launched the ZinoxTelecommunications Limited, in 2008 and today boasts of over 300 corporate clients in her portfolio with uncommon technologies. In exclusive Partnership with technology leaders in Hong Kong and France, Zinox last year launched the first State WIMAX in Africa in Yobe State, Nigeria.
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