Ms Funke Opeke, Chief Executive Officer of MainOne, a telecom services and network solutions provider with operations across West Africa, has highlighted some reasons why the need for investment in telecom infrastructure will continue to occupy Nigeria’s digital space.
Ms Opeke argued that as more people migrate online and data consumption per capita increases, telecom infrastructure requirements will grow, coupled with the federal government vigorous pursuit of the digital economy agenda.
“The next 10 years will be filled with opportunities for further growth in broadband penetration and digital market expansion across the West African sub-region. Thus, the compelling case for increased investment in digital connectivity infrastructure that drives the digital economy,” Ms Opeke told Capacity Media in an interview.
She assured that as an organization, MainOne is investing in bringing the benefits of digital transformation across West Africa, and with the influx of private capital coupled with a huge working population; the continent is increasingly empowered to drive growth and development.
Speaking on the investment on the part of MainOne, Ms Opeke noted that to meet the increase in demand, MainOne is expanding its terrestrial fibre footprint across the region and is making additional data centre investments including the expansion of its MDXi facility in Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria in 2021, construction of a new data centre facility in Appolonia City, Accra Ghana, and development of a Tier III data centre in Sagamu, Ogun State, Nigeria.
The project in Appolonia City, which was initially scheduled for completion in December 2020, will now be ready for services at the end of Q1, 2021 due to the delays caused by the ongoing pandemic, specifically the global supply chain and the delivery of key components for the facility.
