Kendall Ananyi – Celebrating Funke Opeke – My MainOne Story
Kendall Ananyi
Celebrating Funke Opeke: A Legacy of Vision, Leadership, and Unmatched Determination
This week, the technology world marks a significant moment as Funke Opeke, the visionary founder of MainOne, steps back after successfully integrating MainOne into Equinix. It’s a bittersweet transition, but one that leaves a legacy few can match. She has built a great company from scratch, a mission-driven journey that brought groundbreaking technology to Nigeria and beyond, transforming MainOne from an ambitious startup to an international leader in connectivity and digital infrastructure.
My family had the privilege of dining with her last month, and my kids were fascinated by her story. They asked her a few thoughtful questions, with my daughters curious if she knew, at 13, that she would become a pioneer in technology, and what inspired her to start her business. My son, too, wanted to know if there was another name she might have chosen for MainOne. FKO, with her characteristic warmth and wisdom, shared that she started as “Main Street Technologies,” with a vision of bringing technology to the “Main Street.” That’s precisely what her company has done—her submarine cable brought the internet to millions, fulfilling that mission.
In early 2020, when my wife Jane joined Equinix’s HQ, I joked that one day, Equinix might just acquire MainOne. Little did we know that two years later, this would become a reality, with Equinix acquiring MainOne for $320 million. It’s a testament to the strength and vision she infused into her company from day one.
She is one of the brightest minds I have had the fortune to meet, and I’ve been incredibly privileged to learn from her. Her journey is awe-inspiring:
- She studied Electrical Engineering in Nigeria and went on to pursue her graduate studies at Columbia University.
- She rose to the role of Director at Verizon.
- She served as the CTO of MTN before making the bold leap from corporate leadership to entrepreneurship, founding MainOne.
- She joins a select few Founder-CEOs who not only founded, led, and grew their company but also successfully exited, bringing MainOne into a new era with Equinix.
FKO’s achievements are even more remarkable considering the challenges she overcame. Building her company with foreign exchange debt, she led MainOne through three major currency devaluations—from ₦160 to ₦177, then to ₦220, and finally from ₦400 to ₦1,600. Many founders with similar financial burdens faced insurmountable challenges, yet she navigated these storms and brought her vision to life. As Beyoncé might say, She is truly “1-of-1.”
I’m grateful to Oluwasayo Oshadami, an early customer of Tizeti for introducing us eight years ago when he was a Tizeti customer. MainOne has been an incredible partner to Tizeti ever since, and she has redefined my understanding of partnership as “shared success through both good and difficult times.” Her leadership helped build a strong and talented team that always went the extra mile. In the early days, I would leave ExxonMobil HQ to sit in the MainOne office, soaking up insights from Gbenga, Dolapo, and Tosin Soile, who tirelessly engineered the best, most cost-effective solutions for our needs. As Tizeti scaled, Lilian and Dolapo worked hand-in-hand to ensure we could continue providing affordable unlimited internet sustainably.
As she steps back, we welcome and congratulate Wole Abu as he takes on the role of leading MainOne into its next chapter. Wole brings a wealth of experience, and we have no doubt he will build on the strong foundation she created.
We wish her the very best in her next endeavors and look forward to seeing her continued impact on the global tech ecosystem. Her influence and mentorship will continue to inspire and drive us forward.