Funke Opeke has officially stepped down from her role as MainOne’s Managing Director for West Africa, a move that follows weeks after the internet provider company concluded its post-acquisition merger with Equinix. Following her resignation, Opeke will transition into a strategic advisory position for the West Africa region. Opeke had previously served as MainOne’s Managing Director for West Africa after Equinix’s significant $320 million acquisition of MainOne in April 2022. Her extensive tenure saw her lead the company as CEO for over a decade, having founded MainOne in 2008 and spearheading its growth since 2010 when it successfully landed the first private submarine cable on the West Coast of Africa.

Her successor will be Wole Abu, who previously held positions as CEO of Liquid Intelligent Technologies Nigeria and the Africa Data Centre, as well as CEO of Pan African Towers and Vice President of Sales at Airtel Nigeria. Abu’s appointment as Managing Director for Equinix’s West African business coincides with the recent opening of Equinix’s newest data centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. In his new capacity, Abu will be responsible for overseeing all Equinix business operations in West Africa, fostering close collaboration with both local businesses and multinational corporations. His mandate includes building upon MainOne's established focus on sustaining internet service provision and enhancing the data centre business. Equinix has also articulated plans to launch three major data centre projects and expand its fibre capacity, with two operational data centres in Lagos now fully under its control.

Wole Abu expressed his enthusiasm for his new role and his commitment to Equinix's mission to transform the global economy. He stated, “I’m excited to be joining Equinix, as we share a common vision for expanding digital infrastructure across Africa. This mission is crucial for bringing life-enhancing services to the region and bridging the digital divide. By empowering both enterprises and individuals, we’re enabling broader participation in the global digital economy. I’m eager to contribute to this transformative work and help create a more connected, accessible digital landscape throughout Africa.”

The leadership transition marks a pivotal moment for MainOne, recognized as Nigeria’s most prominent internet connectivity provider, boasting a clientele that includes major banks and telecommunications companies. The acquisition of MainOne by Equinix, the world’s largest global data centre and colocation provider, was announced in April 2022 and represented one of the largest exits in Africa’s tech ecosystem. The deal, valued at $320 million, commenced in the first quarter of 2022 and was contingent upon customary closing conditions, including requisite regulatory approvals. Founded by Funke Opeke in 2008, MainOne possesses a robust digital infrastructure, including 1,200 kilometers of reliable terrestrial fibre networks across southern Nigeria, an owned and operated subsea network connecting Nigeria to Portugal, and three operational data centres across West Africa, which have significantly enabled connectivity for Nigeria's business community.

MainOne's impact on the Nigerian tech landscape is notable; in 2013, it initiated the laying of a 27-kilometer fibre optic cable to serve the Yaba area of Lagos, often referred to as Nigeria’s Silicon Valley. This investment was instrumental in attracting numerous startups to Yaba and fostering the growth of the Nigerian tech ecosystem, supporting companies such as Andela, CcHUB, Paga, Hotels.ng, and Flutterwave. Equinix viewed MainOne as one of the most promising technology businesses to emerge from Africa, seeing its acquisition as a critical entry point into the rapidly expanding African market and a foundational step in its long-term strategy to become a leading African carrier-neutral digital infrastructure company. Equinix management highlighted MainOne’s strong interconnection position, experienced team, and the fact that Africa’s data consumption growth is among the fastest globally, all of which would extend Equinix’s reach and bolster opportunities for customers worldwide.

The integration process, which involved extensive workload migration—the transfer of applications, data, and IT processes across environments—took approximately two years and was finalized last month. As part of this integration, employees were issued new employment contracts. While these contracts included a pay increase, the raise reportedly did not meet employee expectations, leading to delays in the signing of the new agreements.