{"id":3687,"date":"2026-08-28T21:12:26","date_gmt":"2026-08-28T21:12:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/?p=3687"},"modified":"2026-08-28T21:32:41","modified_gmt":"2026-08-28T21:32:41","slug":"economy-nearly-57-percent-tech-products-procured-by-nigerians-are-refurbished-items-leo-stan-ekeh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/?p=3687","title":{"rendered":"Economy: Nearly 57 percent tech products procured by governments, Nigerians are &#8216;refurbished&#8217; gadgets \u2013Leo Stan Ekeh"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>*<strong><em>Leo Stan Ekeh, Forbes leading tech icon, Founder and Chairman of Zinox Group, at a recent conference, attributes the development to failure to respect the genuine local partnership structures, established by foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers in the West African country<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect<\/p>\n<p>As Nigeria seeks to build a more competitive, digitally driven economy, a startling revelation emerged at the recent 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.<\/p>\n<p>About 57 percent of technology products, which the government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and corporate organisations in Nigeria have procured are refurbished products presented as brand-new ones.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"3nfxvi0N4q\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/?p=3675\">Economic paralysis, safety concerns as hundreds of trailers, tankers are stuck in gridlock in Ekiti<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"\u201cEconomic paralysis, safety concerns as hundreds of trailers, tankers are stuck in gridlock in Ekiti\u201d \u2014 Consumer Experience Is A Top Priority\" src=\"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/?p=3675&amp;embed=true#?secret=nDL3wSp13i#?secret=3nfxvi0N4q\" data-secret=\"3nfxvi0N4q\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>This development has been attributed to a failure to respect the genuine local partnership structures, established by foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in the West African country.<\/p>\n<p>This procurement practice is fraudulent, and calls for appropriate sanctions against MDAs and firms found culpable in this regard.<\/p>\n<p>Leo Stan Ekeh, Forbes leading tech icon, Founder and Chairman of Zinox Group, made this&nbsp; observation during the session, \u201cE-Commerce and Procurement: Transforming Public Contracting through Digital Systems, Transparency and Local Capacity Development&#8221;, held under the conference theme, \u201cBeyond Limits\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The Group noted that Ekeh\u2019s perspective on this critical procurement matter is shaped by over four decades of partnering with leading global technology OEMs, including HP, IBM, Dell, Cisco and Microsoft, while building indigenous technology capacity in Nigeria and across Africa.<\/p>\n<p>The conglomerate said through Zinox Technologies, he pioneered Nigeria&#8217;s first internationally certified computer manufacturing facility and delivered technology solutions for critical national projects, including the country&#8217;s digital voter registration exercise and major ICT infrastructure deployments across the African continent.<\/p>\n<p>According to the company, the broader entrepreneurial journey of the Chairman of Zinox Group has also spanned technology distribution, digital infrastructure, e-commerce and enterprise solutions.<\/p>\n<p>This has afforded him a unique vantage position on Nigeria\u2019s relationship with technology, homegrown capacity, and global brands.<\/p>\n<p>Besides, as a strong advocate for indigenous innovation, Ekeh has consistently demonstrated that Nigerian technology companies can develop, deploy, and support solutions capable of meeting complex national needs while competing at international standards.<\/p>\n<p>It is equally noted that the tech expert&#8217;s concern centres on the country&#8217;s longstanding preference for foreign technology products.<\/p>\n<p>Several Nigerians also send their children to some of the world\u2019s best educational institutions.<\/p>\n<p>The firm as well observed that in the pursuit of foreign brands, organisations may end up purchasing refurbished equipment presented as new, while indigenous technology companies with the capacity to provide quality solutions receive limited consideration.<\/p>\n<p>The issue, therefore, goes beyond brand preference.<\/p>\n<p>It is also said that the development raises important questions about procurement verification, transparency and value for money in Nigeria.<\/p>\n<p>For government, where technology procurement supports critical public infrastructure and services, ensuring that products are authentic and fit for purpose is particularly important, the company stated.<\/p>\n<p>Ekeh consequently, advocated stronger implementation of the Nigeria First Policy, with government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) offering world-class indigenous businesses and locally developed, and certified solutions greater consideration while maintaining appropriate standards for quality and global competitiveness.<\/p>\n<p>The Chairman of Zinox Group, therefore, emphasised the importance of digital systems in improving procurement.<\/p>\n<p>He opined that e-procurement platforms, government cloud infrastructure, data protection safeguards and digital audit trails could make transactions more transparent, traceable and accountable in the economy.<\/p>\n<p>According to him, this is critical to Nigeria&#8217;s future, as no nation can claim to be truly independent without technological independence.<\/p>\n<p>The conversation at the forum also highlighted the changing role of lawyers.<\/p>\n<p>As procurement becomes increasingly digital, legal practitioners must understand the technological, regulatory, and compliance dimensions of public contracting while helping organisations to manage procurement risks and disputes.<\/p>\n<p>Ekeh further emphasised the growing importance of digital competence among lawyers in navigating an increasingly technology-driven economy.<\/p>\n<p>Other speakers at the session included Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement, who was the lead speaker; Malam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, Director-General\/CEO of NITDA; Fatai Idowu Onafowote, Director-General of the Lagos State Public Procurement Agency; Engr. Sanusi Aminu Yero, Director-General of the Kaduna State Public Procurement Authority; and Andrew Osemedua Odom, SAN. Dr. Faith Amarachi Okpara coordinated the session.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, going \u201cBeyond Limits\u201d requires Nigeria to rethink how it defines value in technology procurement.<\/p>\n<p>Foreign origin should not automatically be equated with superior quality, just as local origin should not be viewed as a limitation.<\/p>\n<p>A stronger procurement culture built around authenticity, transparency, innovation and value can protect public resources while creating room for Nigerian technology companies to grow, compete and contribute more meaningfully to the nation\u2019s digital future.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>*Leo Stan Ekeh, Forbes leading tech icon, Founder and Chairman of Zinox Group, at a recent conference, attributes the development to failure to respect the&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3679,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_FSMCFIC_featured_image_caption":"Leo Stan Ekeh, Forbes Leading Tech Icon, Founder and Chairman of Zinox Group, Speaking at the Event in Port Harcourt, Rivers State ","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_nocaption":"","_FSMCFIC_featured_image_hide":"","_customify_content_layout":"","_customify_sidebar":"","_customify_page_header_display":"default","_customify_disable_header":"","_customify_disable_header_top":"","_customify_disable_header_main":"","_customify_disable_header_bottom":"","_customify_disable_page_title":"","_customify_disable_content_vertical_padding":"","_customify_disable_footer_top":"","_customify_disable_footer_main":"","_customify_disable_footer_bottom":"","_customify_breadcrumb_display":"","_customify_header_transparent_display":"default","footnotes":""},"categories":[20,3,4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3687","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-highlights","category-infoeducation","category-markets"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Leo-Stan-Ekeh-at-NBA-PH-cc.png",672,370,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Leo-Stan-Ekeh-at-NBA-PH-cc-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Leo-Stan-Ekeh-at-NBA-PH-cc-300x165.png",300,165,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Leo-Stan-Ekeh-at-NBA-PH-cc.png",672,370,false],"large":["https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Leo-Stan-Ekeh-at-NBA-PH-cc.png",672,370,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Leo-Stan-Ekeh-at-NBA-PH-cc.png",672,370,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Leo-Stan-Ekeh-at-NBA-PH-cc.png",672,370,false]},"author_info":{"info":["ConsumerConnect"]},"category_info":"<a href=\"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/?cat=20\" rel=\"category\">Highlights<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/?cat=3\" rel=\"category\">InfoEducation<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/?cat=4\" rel=\"category\">Markets<\/a>","tag_info":"Markets","comment_count":"1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3687","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3687"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3687\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3716,"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3687\/revisions\/3716"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3687"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3687"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/consumerconnectng.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3687"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}