TechPersonality: Engr. Funke Opeke – Tech Amazon and First Lady of Submarine Cable in Africa.

Engr. Funke Opeke is widely recognized as the ‘main one’ behind the massive soaring success story in the Nigeria ICT space.

She is the CEO of MainOne. a broadband infrastructure services provider that built West Africa’s first privately owned, open-access submarine cable system interconnecting Lagos, Nigeria; Accra, Ghana; and Seixal, Portugal. She is also the brain behind the MDXi, West Africa’s largest commercial Tier III data center.

Under her exemplary leadership in the efforts to boost access to Broadband and Data Centre services across the African continent, her company, Mainone launched a submarine cable extension from Lagos into Kribi, Cameroon with plans to expand into Cote D’ Ivoire and Senegal.

MainOne has today grown to become one of 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.

After 20 years of working in U.S. telecoms sector, Engr. Funke Opeke 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, Engr.. Opeke advised Transcorp on the acquisition of NITEL and briefly served as the interim Chief Operating Officer, post-acquisition of NITEL.

Fondly called the First Lady of Submarine Cable in Africa, Engr. Funke Opeke is indeed a pioneer woman in ICT in Nigeria and an inspiration. A keen advocate of girl/woman empowerment through ICT capacity building programmes and enthusiastic promoter of ICT for socio-economic development.

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.

In 2018, Engr. Funke Opeke was named by Forbes as one of the world’s top 50 women in Tech. Her life story reads like an awesome adventure story for always charting new territories and demonstrating what is possible with passion, determination and relentless focus.