Nnamdi Ezeigbo is a Nigerian entrepreneur who was born on August 4, 1966, in Sapele, Delta State. He is of Igbo origin and grew up in Nsukwe, Ubakala, Umuahia, Abia State. His mother was a petty trader, while his father’s occupation is unknown. Nnamdi is the first child of nine children born to his parents. Despite coming from a humble background, Nnamdi was hardworking and always willing to assist his mother in hawking bread after school.
Nnamdi Ezeigbo received his primary education at Pamol Primary School, Sapele, and his secondary education at Ogini Grammar School in Abraka, Delta State. He had a passion for education and went on to study Engineering at Yaba College of Technology, where he obtained a Higher National Diploma in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. He also obtained a degree in Computer and Electronics Engineering from Lagos State University and a Master’s degree in Information and Management Technology from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Oyo State. He later obtained an MBA from the Lagos Business School and also studied at Harvard Business School.
After completing his education, Nnamdi Ezeigbo was unable to secure a job, so he registered as an apprentice to learn how to repair computers. However, he found out that his boss was more interested in money than good customer relations, so he moved to Lagos to stay with a friend. In Lagos, he began selling phone accessories and was soon able to raise funds to acquire a bigger shop. He started with a rent of N180,000 and continued to expand his business.
Nnamdi Ezeigbo later launched his business, Slot, which sold phones, phone accessories, laptops, and other gadgets. He bought the shop he had rented previously for N100 million and began expanding his business and customer base. Slot has over 43 outlets in Nigeria and has become a leading provider of electronic gadgets and gadget accessories. The company sells various brands such as Infinix, Tecno, Vivo, Itel, Redmi, and Oppo.
In the early 2000s, Nnamdi Ezeigbo aspired to produce his phone brand that would cater to the masses who needed to use various networks. He approached Nokia, but they turned down his business idea. He later met someone who had worked in the Bird phone company during one of his business trips to China, and this individual helped him bring the technology to Nigeria. Nnamdi Ezeigbo then registered and produced a dual sim phone named Tecno. The first production, the Tecno T101, was not accepted in the market because of issues with the sim working together on the same phone. However, he did not give up and developed the second version of Tecno T201, which was more accepted in the market.
Today, Tecno has become a household name in Nigeria, and the purchase of the product is on the rise. The emergence of Tecno in the market also gave rise to the introduction of the Infinix phone to meet the demands of the higher, middle, and lower classes. Through his hard work, determination, and entrepreneurial spirit, Nnamdi Ezeigbo has become one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Nigeria, creating jobs and transforming the mobile phone industry in the country.
Nnamdi met his wife, Nkechi Ezeigbo, for the first time at an Ikeja bus stop, Lagos State, before they took things to the next level after a few encounters. The wife of the entrepreneur is from the Igbo-speaking part of Delta State. She also started the business with her husband and is currently a shareholder in the company. The duo tied the knot in 1998 and has welcomed four children together since then. Nnamdi and Nkechi Ezeigbo are blessed with three sons and a daughter.
