The advent of the Coronavirus Disease has woken companies to the reality of more investment and smarter policies.
Chief Executive Officer of MainOne, Ms. Funke Opeke, disclosed this on Monday while reflecting on the company’s 10 years of enabling West Africa’s digital revolution.
She said, “We started on this journey to deploy critical infrastructure to bridge the digital divide in West Africa. While we are pleased that we have made an impact, there is so much more work to be done.
“The recent challenges we have faced with COVID-19 pandemic highlight the need for additional investment and smarter policies to deploy shared infrastructure required to make access to broadband a reality for more Africans at a price they can afford.”
According to her, MainOne has been leading that charge across West Africa for 10 years, and even more committed to realising its vision today than 10 years ago.
Ten years ago, the company launched its operations with the commissioning of the first private submarine cable on the West Coast of Africa. It has played a critical role in enabling internet access across West Africa where penetration rates have grown from less than 10 per cent in 2010 to close to 40 per cent a decade later.
Since inception, MainOne has invested over $400m in infrastructure in West Africa as part of its efforts to bridge the digital divide and enable the digital economy. The investments include submarine cables, terrestrial fiber networks, and Points of Presence across the region.
Within this period, the company delivered services to 10 West African countries and built Tier III data centres in Nigeria, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire, hosting the largest institutions and global content in the region, with on-going expansions of its data centre footprint in Nigeria and Ghana.
