By Balogun Kamilu Lekan
Biography
Nnamdi Ezeigbo is a tech entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of SLOT Systems Limited.
He was born on August 4th, 1966, in Sapele, Delta State, Nigeria, to parents from Nsukwe, Ubakala, in Umuahia South local government area of Abia State.
Ezeigbo is the brain behind introducing and distributing TECNO and Infinix phones to the Nigerian market.
His outlet, SLOT, has grown to become one of Africa’s biggest phone outlets that also offers repair services for faulty phones
Nnamdi attended Pamol Primary School, Sapele, Delta State, for his elementary education before heading to Ogini Grammar School in Abraka, Delta State, for his secondary education.
He then proceeded to Yaba College of Technology in 1988, bagging a higher national diploma in Electrical Electronics Engineering.
Later, he enrolled for another degree in Computer and Electronics Engineering at the Lagos State University (LASU) before heading to the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology in Ogbomosho, Oyo State, where he obtained a master’s degree in information and management technology.
He also has an MBA from the Lagos Business School.
Career
After graduating from the polytechnic and being unable to get a job, Nnamdi opted for apprenticeship training, where he spent six months serving his boss. During this period, he learned customer relations and the basics of entrepreneurship.
After his six-month training, he set up his own business while squatting with a friend.
Years later, fortune smiled on him when he ran across an old customer from his days as an apprentice, who demanded that Nnamdi relocates to a much larger shop.
To assist him in getting started, the customer brought some printers for him to sell, with the revenues going toward purchasing a larger business for himself.
He paid 180,000 Naira for the new location and continued to sell computers. He ultimately purchased the property for 100 million Naira and established the SLOT business there in 1998.
To enlarge his business, Nnamdi tried to tap into the phone business. He did this when the Nigerians were in need of affordable phones.
He proposed to Nokia to help produce a phone that could accommodate two sim cards, but his proposal was rejected.
This led him to travel to China, where he wooed the maker of Techno phones and his proposal was granted, which birthed the Techno T101. He got the opportunity to brand his phones too.
Following the introduction of Techno, there was a need for a more advanced gadget at a lower cost, which led him to propose the development of Infinix mobile. Infinix phones contain many of the same features and functionalities as Techno phones but have a bit more capacity.
His stores are spread across Nigeria and also some other African countries.
In addition, he also founded the Slot Foundation, a vocational skills acquisition centre that helps young people become entrepreneurs or skilled enough to work in other organizations. Over the years, the foundation has employed over 500 people.
Marriage
Nnamdi is married to Nkechi Ezeigbo, and they are blessed with four children.
Net worth
Nnamdi Ezeigbo is estimated to have a net worth of about $35 million. However, NewswireNGR cannot independently verify it.
Achievements
Nnamdi received the Nigeria Entrepreneurs Award for Excellence and Business Innovation in 2014. He also received the Authority Newspaper’s 2017 entrepreneur award.
His company, Slot, has won some notable recognitions. Some of these include
- Business Day Most Innovative SME Award
- Nigerian Telecom Awards for mobile phone dealer of the year
- Nigeria Customer Service Award
- Nigerian Telecom Awards
- Distinguished SME partner Award by Fidelity Bank
- Nigerian Telecom Awards & Mobile Phone Dealer of the year
- Nigerian National Integrity Award
