Worried by the high rate of unemployment of youths in Plateau State, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Zang Global Technology, Zang Luka, has embarked on an audacious venture of providing 15,000 jobs in the tech sector by the year 2029.
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The young tech guru who has carved a niche for himself by using recycled electronic waste to produce sustainable products like power banks, recently launched a new range of durable USB chargers and cables, power adapters, and rechargeable lanterns, all made locally here in Jos.
The launch of the new products which was themed “Proudly Made in Nigeria – Powering Innovation, Empowering Lives,” drew government officials, entrepreneurs, investors, and development partners from across the state and beyond, all gathered to celebrate homegrown excellence.
In his keynote remarks, Luka said the innovation was his way of expressing his deep passion for Nigeria’s industrial growth and innovation.
“As the CEO of Zang Global, I am deeply inspired by a single question — where are the made-in-Nigeria products? He said.
“This question ignited our vision to produce indigenous, environmentally friendly innovations proudly crafted in Nigeria,” Luka said, emphasizing that innovation remains the engine of national development and that no country can thrive without it.
“Our commitment is to solving African problems with African solutions while promoting sustainability through e-waste recycling and green technology.
“Today’s launch of our locally made USB cables and chargers is more than a product unveiling—it is a movement of purpose, people, and progress. Together, we can build a self-reliant and innovative Africa.”
During the event, the company unveiled its locally made Power Banks with 20,000mAh and 10,000mAh, in various colors and designs, USB Cables, Power Adapters, and Rechargeable Lanterns.
After the event, Luka had a chat with PlateauNewsWatch where he spoke about his drive, his passion, and his desire to provide jobs to the teeming unemployed youths in the state.
Excerpts
What has been the driving force behind Zang Global Technology?
The driving force has been my passion for technological innovation and made in Nigeria products instead of depending on products from China, USA, Taiwan and other places, most of are of inferior quality to what we have and manufacture here.
It was this passion that made me think out of the box and realize that we can actually recycle electronic waste into innovative and durable products.
So how did you go about realizing this dream?
It will interest you to know that my background was not in the sciences. I actually studied social science but I have always had this love for creating things and when the idea hit me, I did not think twice.
I read books, took courses, studied how these things can be done and today, I am happy I took those steps. The results are there for all to see.
What has been the support from the state government all along?
I will say the government, especially the Ministry of Science and Technology, has been wonderful, but I believe much more can be done in terms of grants and an enabling environment for tech businesses to thrive in Plateau.
We are not asking for the government to give us money but if we get good grants, we will be able to set up plants and expand our current operations. We need an enabling environment, investments, partnerships, collaborations, and support so we can expand the business.
I can tell you that our products are not even enough to go around, as we only produce with the limited resources at our disposal, but if we get some kind of partnerships, the sky will be our starting point.
Plateau State is often seen as a civil service state where most youths depend on government employment. What will be your advice for them?
Yes, for ages, our state has been seen as a civil service state, but what many people do not know is that the state has so many untapped opportunities in different sectors that the youths can tap into and become employers of labour instead of waiting for non-existent jobs.
Are we talking about the abundant mineral resources? Are we talking about opportunities in the agricultural sector? Not to talk of the technology opportunities that abound in Plateau State.
But the sad thing is that most of our able-bodied youths have become tools in the hands of politicians. There is a name that people call them, I think ‘data boys’ or something like that.
They collect stipends from these politicians and spend the whole day on Facebook insulting their other politicians, not knowing that the time they spend on social media trading insults can be used to make good money from the same social media.
At Zang Global, we have taken it upon ourselves to help them change that narrative. We want to show our youth that there are so many opportunities they can tap into in that space.
That is why we are embarking on Vision 15,000 jobs by 2029. We want our youths to see these opportunities and tap into them instead of depending on stipends from politicians.
We want them to build something sustainable for themselves and secure their future. Politics will come and go, and the politicians will become richer, send their children to the best schools around the world, but how will the data boys end up? That is my worry.
In this regard, what are your plans for these youths?
Like I said earlier, we are coming up with some innovations which are aimed at coming up with programmes to support young innovators to stand on their own.
So far, we have trained a lot of interested youths, and at the end of such trainings, those who are interested in staying with us are retained, while those who are desirous of setting up their own companies, we support and mentor them till they can stand on their feet.
Another thing we have embarked upon is offering free training to displaced communities and inmates of IDP camps so that they, too, can have something to fall back on. That is one of our corporate social responsibilities and we have been doing that for years.
How has the acceptance of your products been?
I can tell you that the acceptance has been quite impressive. Even now, we don’t even have enough products to go around. We have so many orders that we even find it difficult to keep up.
That is why we hope the government can come in and invest or partner with us so we can meet the demands. If we have such a partnership, we will be able to set up a big plant and go into mass production.
