By Luminous Jannamike

ABUJA – Computer entrepreneur, Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh, has called for a thorough investigation into alleged corporate sabotage that delayed Nigeria’s ₦300 billion digital census project.

The delay, caused by frivolous petitions and legal battles instigated by competitors, reportedly compelled the Buhari administration to pass the project to President Bola Tinubu’s government, leaving essential equipment unused in warehouses nationwide.

Ekeh, Chairman of Zinox Group, made the call during a mentorship session with young tech entrepreneurs, where he discussed the impact of corporate blackmail on national development.

Speaking at the event, Ekeh highlighted how unnamed competitors, with the backing of prominent law firms and social media platforms, launched a smear campaign against Zinox Technologies to derail its involvement in the project.

The delay allegedly stemmed from a flood of petitions sent to federal agencies, which stalled the contract approval process for the computers required to conduct the census.

Although the Buhari administration eventually dismissed the petitions and awarded the contract to Zinox based on its capacity and track record, the delay made it impossible to proceed with the project during Buhari’s tenure.

The unused equipment, valued at over ₦300 billion, has raised concerns about the lack of credible population data needed for Nigeria’s progress.

Ekeh expressed worry that such corporate sabotage not only undermines trust but also wastes public resources critical for national planning.

He urged President Tinubu and the Attorney General, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, to investigate the circumstances that led to the delay and ensure that similar tactics do not derail future projects.

Addressing the broader issue, Ekeh warned that corporate and personality blackmail is a rising trend in Nigeria’s business landscape, urging young entrepreneurs to remain vigilant.

Despite the challenges, Ekeh reassured his mentees of Nigeria’s economic potential, projecting recovery by the third quarter of 2025, and encouraged them to focus on innovation while avoiding unethical practices.

He stated, “The new fraud is Corporate and Personality blackmail which my companies and I have fallen victims of, and I am sure you read some in the newspapers where CEOs of responsible corporations in Nigeria are tagged fraudsters. This is the work of blackmailers, and they partner with a few blogs, engage some innocent respected law firms for hyping and a few government officials to achieve their set objectives to destroy your corporate and personal reputations.

“These negative online materials are then lifted by Google, Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms so that when people search your organisation or personal names, you are seen as a crook. This is with the intent to destroy your brand and affect your credit rating globally.

“In some cases, they sue you in multiple courts in Nigeria for the noise and to have the content to continue to upload on various social media platforms. Having set this platform against you, your competitors would leverage them to blackmail you. In some cases, they secure a Fiat from the office of the Attorney General of the Federation to give an impression that the Federal Government is suing you for fraud, which allegations they cannot prove in courts.

“So, a few days after, President Muhammadu Buhari, based on submissions at the Federal Executive Council meeting, approved that the contract be awarded to Zinox Technologies Ltd based on competence, capacity and experience. And it was awarded to Zinox Technologies after months of blackmail to eliminate us from the deal. We delivered the project on time per our terms of engagement, but it was too late for the previous administration to conduct the Digital Census.

“This is the cause of the Nigeria digital Census project delay till date, and equipment worth over ₦300 billion are wasting in warehouses because my competitors and their sponsors at the highest level used them to secure a Fiat against my name, my wife, my companies to tag us as frauds.

“By their action, Zinox almost lost a digital census contract of which it was the most qualified. That’s shameless Nigerians for you, and they walk the street as free men till date.

“Please, as stakeholders and future Nigerian trillionaires, learn from my experience but you must not dine with blackmailers as technologies shall soon delete them from the tech ecosystem.

“Nigeria shall start returning to a comfortable zone from the 3rd quarter of 2025.”