Founder and Chairman of Zinox Technologies, Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh, has stressed that Nigeria must prioritise uninterrupted power supply to achieve meaningful digital transformation in the 21st century.
Delivering the keynote address at the 2025 Institute of Change Management (ICM) Annual Conference in Lagos, Ekeh, represented by Mr. Chris Uwaje, pioneer of Nigeria’s National IT Policy said energy is the backbone of digital transformation, which drives infrastructural development, production, and supply.
“We cannot wish change without prioritising and building abundant energy resources. Power supply is the backbone of the future of digital transformation,” he said.
“Africans, as the origin of humanity, discovered the source of energy we use today by striking two stones together to fire their destiny. Now, the world faces a multi-dimensional change—driven by AI and supercharged by quantum computing. The AI revolution is already upon us.”
Ekeh noted that while artificial intelligence was first formally introduced to human consciousness in 1956 at Dartmouth, USA, its rapid advancement now poses both challenges and opportunities. He warned that the next 25 years could disrupt families, businesses, governance structures, and Africa’s collective existence if leaders fail to adapt.
According to him, effective change management must be built on innovative living spaces, creative education leveraging state-of-the-art technologies, best-practice business models, and resilient implementation processes.
He urged leaders to foster a merit-driven workforce of resilient, trusted, and well-remunerated individuals, while encouraging experimentation as part of continuous learning.
“Change begins with leadership—by fostering a deterministic culture of humility, empathy, trustworthiness, creativity, and innovation. The future belongs to those who are prepared to navigate its complexities with courage, creativity, and resilience,” he added.
Ekeh called on African leaders to inspire, motivate, and empower their workforce to achieve exceptional results, stressing that every citizen must be seen as a change agent.
In his opening remarks, President of the ICM Governing Council, Mr. Nat Osewele, said effective change leaders must influence not only their organisations but also the communities and economies they serve.
He described the conference as a launchpad for transformation, noting:
“The transformations we initiate today will shape a more inclusive, adaptive, and forward-looking society. The future is not something to be feared, it is something to be designed. And together, through shared knowledge and collective action, we will design it well.”
