CEO Today Africa Awards

51 www.ceotodaymagazine.com CEO Today Africa Awards 2019 NIGERIA FUNKE OPEKE Founder and CEO MainOne FIRM PROFILE MainOne continues to invest significantly in bringing the benefits of digital transformation across West Africa. With the influx of private capital coupled with a huge working population, the continent is increasingly empowered to drive growth and development. With our subsea cable, growing metropolitan infrastructure and data centre ecosystem, MainOne is uniquely positioned to catapult the region. Our world class submarine cable system running down the coast of West Africa, state of the art IP NGN network, growing regional and metro terrestrial fiber optic networks, and data center facilities enable broadband services for businesses needing online connectivity solutions in West Africa. MainOne has grown to become the leading provider of Wholesale and Enterprise connectivity and data center services across the West African region and the company partners with major global technology companies to deliver services to its customers. The company continues to grow its footprint with major network interconnection facilities, extensive terrestrial fiber build out, regional Points of presence, and delivery of services into 10 countries in West Africa. MainOne is a broadband infrastructure company providing innovative telecoms services and network solutions across West Africa. Since its launch in 2010, MainOne has developed a reputation for providing highly reliable services to major telecom operators, ISPs, government agencies, small to large enterprises, and educational institutions in West Africa. MainOne also owns a data centre subsidiary, MDXi which builds and operates Tier III data centres across West Africa. MainOne’s leading pan-African network reaches more of West Africa than any other network directly and through our partners. Our managed state-of- the-art next generation IP network offers direct-line connectivity to customers in 8 countries across West Africa. MainOne has agreements with national, regional and global operations to ensure total national, regional and global reach as may be required by our customers. MainOne’s advanced infrastructure is powered by Cisco’s IP NGN platform designed with a high degree of resilience with diverse routes, pro-active network monitoring and performance management on a 24x7x365 basis MainOne’s IP backbone delivers advanced traffic-engineering functionality, rapid fault restoration and multi-service transport abilities/services. ABOUT FUNKE OPEKE Ms. Funke Opeke, is founder and CEO of MainOne, formerly Main One Cable Company. MainOne is West Africa’s leading communications services and network solutions provider that built West Africa’s first privately owned, open access 7,000 kilometer undersea high capacity cable submarine, a $240-million-dollar project that was completed in time and on budget in 2010. MainOne also built West Africa’s largest Tier III Data Center, MDX-i’s Lekki Data Center, a $40 million investment with a capacity for 600 racks. Ms. Opeke is an experienced telecommunications executive who returned to Nigeria in 2005 as the Chief Technical Officer of MTN after a twenty-year career in the United States. Prior to her return, she was the Executive Director of Verizon Communications Wholesale Division. Subsequent to MTN, Ms. Opeke advised Transcorp on the acquisition of NITEL and briefly served as the interim Chief Operating Officer, post-acquisition of NITEL. She obtained a first degree in Electrical Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile- Ife Nigeria and a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University, New York. www.mainone.net