Executive profile: Funke Opeke

Opeke is the founder and CEO of communications services firm Main One Cable. She started the company in 2008, after an illustrious 20 year telecoms career in the US. Main One laid a 7,000km fibre optic cable across the bottom of the ocean, from Portugal to Nigeria. The project required $240 million to be raised. The resulting cable provides extra capacity for internet connectivity for countries between Portugal and South Africa. Main Street Technologies, also founded by Opeke, owns the cable.

Before starting the cable venture, Opeke served as Chief Operating Officer at Nitel, a Nigerian telecommunications company. In 2005, she joined MTN Nigeria as a Chief Technical Officer.

During her 20 year career in the US, she was the Executive Director of Verizon Communications Wholesale Division in New York (2001-2005). She also worked as a systems engineer and for companies such as PA Consulting and Sendmail.

Opeke graduated with a Master in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University and with a Bachelors in Electronic and Electrical Engineering from the University of Ife.

Opeke has been Independent Non-executive Director of Atlas Mara Limited since January 2015.