Data is as essential as air, right? At least, that’s what these men will have you believe. Much more than call-credits, data now accounts for a regular percentage of the average Nigerian’s monthly, if not weekly budget. MTN alone generated as much as N74 billion from data sales in Q1 2020.
So, this week’s profiles will be focused on the men and women who control leading internet service companies in Nigeria.
Some of these companies are telcos but as we know, they also provide internet services for many Nigerians. The other internet service providers on the list were sourced from the NCC Q3 2019 report and selected using the number of active subscribers and presence.
Segun Ogunsanya – MD, Airtel Nigeria

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Ogunsanya was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria operations in November 2012.
Prior to that, he had worked in other administrative positions for notable companies. Segun was the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Bottling Company (NBC), the franchise bottler of the Coco-Cola Company Nigeria. He also worked as Managing Director and Head of Retail Banking Operations at Ecobank Transnational Inc. from 2008 to 2009.
Ogunsanya’s impressive administrative profile can hardly be separated from his solid educational background, as he is a graduate of Electrical & Electronics Engineering and also a Chartered Accountant.
In addition, he has attended several professional and management courses in and outside Nigeria and is accomplished in several sectors.
Under his leadership, Airtel has moved to become the 3rd largest telco by subscriber base worldwide and is reported to have over 46 million subscribers in Nigeria.
He is a member of the Business Support Group in Nigeria, a former Vice President of American Chambers of Commerce in Ghana, and a member of the Implementation and Technical Committee of Strategic Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Policy, among others.
Funke Opeke – Founder, MD/CEO Mainone

Funke Opeke, Founder, CEO Mainone
Funke Opeke garnered 20 years of experience in the telecommunications sector in the United States of America before returning to Nigeria in 2005.
She started as Chief Technical Officer of MTN when she returned to Nigeria, and also served as the interim Chief Operating Officer of NITEL after advising Transcorp on the acquisition.
Chief Ms. Funke Opeke, is the founder and CEO of MainOne, formerly Main One Cable Company. MainOne services cuts across several countries in West Africa where it provides communications services and network solutions to major telecom operators, ISPs, government agencies, small to large enterprises, and even educational institutions.
Funke holds a first degree in Electrical Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife Nigeria, and a Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University, New York.
Stephane Beuvelet – Acting MD, 9mobile
Stephane Beuvelet became both a board member and Acting Managing Director of 9mobile in 2018.
This telecom executive has about 20 years’ technical experience and expertise in management, financing and commercial, and business and organization development.
Before coming into 9mobile as Chief Technical Officer, he held a similar position in Celtel Brazzaville, MTN Cote D’Ivoire, and Telma Telecom, Madagascar, where he was also Deputy Group CEO.
Ferdinand Moolman – MD/CEO, MTN Nigeria

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Ferdinand Moolman became MD/CEO of MTN Nigeria on December 1, 2015, when the operational structure of the company was reviewed after the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) slammed a $5.2 billion fine on the giant telco.
Their offense? They failed to meet a deadline to disconnect unregistered subscribers.
This became Moolman’s first task as CEO, and after long talks and negotiations between the company and the NCC, this fine was reduced to $1billion.
Part of the agreement, which had the fine reduced, mandated the group to publicly list the Nigerian unit shares on the NSE.
Through strategic and timely decisions over the last five years, the company has become the second most capitalized—after Dangote Cement—on the Nigerian bourse. Under Moolman’s leadership, the yearly revenue of this company continues to astound investors; this is in spite of other fines and settlements that the company has had to make.
Before becoming CEO, Moolman was the Chief Financial Officer of MTN Nigeria, a position he assumed immediately after he was transferred from MTN Iran cell where he was Chief Operating Officer (COO).
Moolman is a graduate of the University of Pretoria and University of South Africa.
Mike Adenuga – Chairman/CEO, Globacom

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Nigerian billionaire Mike Adenuga is not only the founder of Globacom, but he is also its Board Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
The long story of how he moved from being a Taxi-driver in New York to become a serial entrepreneur and billionaire can fill a book, but we can conclude that the major turn-around in his fortunes happened when he received a drilling license in 1990 and entered the business of oil exploration and exploitation.
Mike Adenuga has his degree in Business Administration from North Western Oklahoma State University, and also has an MBA from Pace University, New York.
Ajay Awasthi – CEO, Spectranet Nigeria
Awasthi was appointed CEO of Spectranet Nigeria in December 2017.
He has had over 17 years of experience in the telecoms industry, beginning in India which is known to be highly competitive. He has held several administrative and senior management positions, even in the solar energy and electrical products sector, and is experienced in setting up multi-channel distribution and optimising business operations.
He is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore
Mr. Charles Anudu – Founder, MD/CEO, Swift Networks Limited

Mr. Charles Anudu – Founder, CEO, Swift Networks Limited
Swift Networks is only the latest entrepreneurial venture for Charles Anudu, as he is known to have successfully launched other companies.
He founded Swift in 2002 after obtaining a Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) License from Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to provide multi-service broadband connectivity services to businesses and residential subscribers.
His administrative experience started at Rhone-Poulenc Nigeria where he worked as General Manager, before leaving to found The Candel Company Limited where he was founding Managing Director and Chairman.
Charles has a Bachelor of Agriculture Degree in Crop Protection and Master of Science Degree in Plant Ecology from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and the University of Ibadan. He also has a Diploma in Computer and Telecommunications Electronics and has several professional certifications including being a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA).
An Alumnus of Harvard Business School and the Lagos Business School, where he has done multiple management programmes, Charles is a member of the Economic Intelligence Committee of the Nigerian Presidency.
Ejovi Aror – Group Managing Director, ipNX
Ejovi was appointed the Group Managing Director of ipNX in 2002.
Before this, he had spent 14 years at Telnet Group, with his last 6 years there as the Managing Director of iTECO, one of the group subsidiaries.
He holds a first-class degree in Electrical/Electronics Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and a Masters’ degree in Data Communications Engineering from Brunel University, UK. He also has an MBA from the Lagos Business School (1998).
Abiodun Omoniyi – Founder/MD, VDT communications
Abiodun Omoniyi founded and served as the pioneer Managing Director of Bitcom Systems Limited (a System integration company established in 1989), from where he moved to establish VDT Communications Limited in 2001, to focus mainly on providing Broadband Communications Service to the growing data-centric financial sector of the Nigerian economy.
He has since led the growth of VDT through his dynamic management style from the then one–branch office to the multi-branch entity it is today, providing broadband services to numerous customers in the banking and financial services sector, logistics, and manufacturing, public and government sectors, FMCG, etc.
Abiodun obtained his Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (B.Eng.) degree from the University of Ilorin and is an alumnus of the Lagos Business School. He has also attended several business and management pieces of training outside Nigeria.
Kendall Ananyi, Founder & CEO Tizetti Network Limited (wifi.com)
Wifi.com.ng is the internet service provided by Tizeti Network Limited, a company that Kendall Ananyi founded in 2012 to deliver high-speed unlimited Wi-Fi internet access to customers.
Before 2012, his work experience cut across noteworthy companies including PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Microsoft in Canada. He has over 15 years of experience in telecoms and software, project management, and software experience.
Ananyi has a Masters in Computer Engineering from the University of Victoria, Canada.