Funke Opeke

Funke Opeke
Born1961 (age 64–65)
Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
EducationUniversity of Ìfẹ́, now Obafemi Awolowo University
Columbia University
Known forElectrical engineering
Notable workFounder of Main Street Technologies
AwardsCNBC All Africa Businesswoman of the Year (2012)
Africa's Most Powerful Women In Technology (2013)

Funke Opeke listenⓘ (born 1961 in Ibadan) is a Nigerian electrical engineer and telecommunications executive who founded Main Street Technologies and MainOne. She led MainOne as chief executive officer and, following its acquisition by Equinix, as managing director for West Africa until stepping down in November 2024. She then became a strategic adviser to the company.

Early life and education

Opeke attended Queen's School in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

Opeke grew up in Ibadan and is from Ile-Oluji, Ondo State. She was one of nine children. Her father was the first Nigerian director of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria, and her mother was a teacher.

Opeke earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) and a master's degree in the same field from Columbia University. After she graduated from Columbia University, she followed with a career in ICT in the United States as an executive director with the wholesale division of Verizon in New York City. In 2005, she joined MTN Nigeria as chief technical officer (CTO). She served as adviser at Transcorp and chief operating officer of NITEL for a brief period.

MainOne Cable

After returning to Nigeria, Opeke founded MainOne in 2008 to address limited internet connectivity in the country. The company developed a 7,000-kilometre submarine cable network running from Portugal to West Africa, with landing stations in Nigeria, Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. In 2015, MainOne began operating a Tier III data centre and extended its submarine cable from Lagos to Cameroon.

In December 2021, Equinix announced an agreement to acquire MainOne at an enterprise value of US$320 million. The acquisition was completed on 5 April 2022, with Opeke continuing to lead the business under the name “MainOne, an Equinix company”.

Awards

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Oludimu, Titilola (5 May 2017). "5 things you didn't know about Funke Opeke, CEO of MainOne". Tech Point Africa. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  2. ↑ "Interviews: Funke Opeke". Interviewed by John D. Macomber. Harvard Business School. 11 July 2022. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  3. ↑ Jaiyeola, Temitayo (5 November 2024). "Funke Opeke, MainOne founder, resigns, becomes advisor". BusinessDay. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
  4. ↑ "Executive Profile". Bloomberg. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  5. ↑ Femke, Van Zeiji (24 September 2015). "Funke Opeke: Nigeria's cyber revolutionary". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  6. ↑ "Shittu, Ndukwe, Ovia, others to enter DS-IHUB hall of fame". Vanguard. Lagos, Nigeria. 13 July 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  7. ↑ Emma, Okonji (11 August 2016). "Govt Urged to Leverage Power of Broadband Technology". This Day. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  8. ↑ Olubunmi, Adeniyi (8 October 2012). "Mainone becomes first west African carrier to connect London internet exchange point". Technology Times. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  9. 1 2 "Equinix Enters Africa, Closing the US$320 Million Acquisition of MainOne" (Press release). Equinix. 5 April 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2026.
  10. ↑ "Funke Opeke". Alliance for Affordable Internet. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 4 May 2020.
  11. ↑ "Funke Opeke, CEO of Main One Cable wins 2012 CNBC All Africa Businesswoman of the Year". The Habari Network. 29 October 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  12. ↑ "Africa's Most Powerful Women In Technology - 2013". African Leadership Magazine. 14 August 2023.
  13. ↑ "The World's Top 50 Women In Tech". Forbes. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  14. ↑ "Funke Opeke". Forbes. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  15. ↑ Oluwole, Victor (13 October 2022). "Top Nigerian business leaders conferred with national awards by President Muhammadu Buhari". Business Insider Africa. Retrieved 2 September 2024.