Hyperscalers Convergence Africa (HCA) is the continent’s premier digital infrastructure conference - built to accelerate Africa’s transformation into a connected, cloud-ready, AI-powered digital economy.
Now in its second edition, HCA 2025 returns to Lagos with a sharper focus, deeper insights, and a powerful agenda shaped by the operators, regulators, investors, and innovators building Africa’s digital backbone.
Africa’s digital transformation is accelerating but remains fragmented. Fixed broadband reaches fewer than 6% of households, and while mobile access is widespread, it can’t support data-heavy services like cloud or e-learning. Fiber backbones are growing, but last-mile connectivity and affordable access for homes, SMEs, and rural areas are still lacking - widening the digital divide.
Data centers are becoming critical infrastructure, yet remain concentrated in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Egypt. Many regions still lack the local infrastructure needed for low-latency cloud and content delivery, limiting economic inclusion and raising sovereignty concerns.
With Africa’s population projected to reach 2.4 billion by 2050, the demand for reliable, localized digital services is urgent. The path forward demands open-access infrastructure, harmonized policies, and incentives for infrastructure sharing and investment. Regulators, private sector leaders, and DFIs must collaborate to scale connectivity, reduce spectrum barriers, and build regional data hubs.
Equally vital is addressing the talent gap in cloud, fiber, and cybersecurity. Workforce development must match the infrastructure buildout.
At Hyperscalers Convergence Africa, we’ll explore these challenges and opportunities. Through high-impact sessions and expert panels, the event will foster critical conversations among governments, infrastructure players, cloud providers, and investors - advancing Africa’s journey toward an interconnected, inclusive digital future.
attendees from 10+ countries
global speakers from across data centers, cloud, subsea, satellite, AI, telco, finance, and policy
8+ curated panels, keynote sessions, and partner showcases
Media interviews, networking and investor meetups
Director General, NITDA
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Chief Executive Officer, Appo
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Chief Operating Officer, IHS Towers
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Principal, Digital Economy Advisors/former Group CTO, Liquid Telecoms
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Managing Director, Bayobab
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Deputy IT Director, Egyptian Banking
Institute
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Senior researcher,
Innov’COM Laboratory of Sup’COM Tunisia
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Chairman,
ConnectedCompute/Former GMD, Csquared
Group Chief Commercial Officer, WIOCC
Conference Convener: Temitope Osunrinde, Executive Director, Africa Hyperscalers
Building a Digital Africa: Connectivities, Collaborations, Convergence
Bill Kleyman, Chief Executive Officer, Apolo.US / Executive Chair, Data Center Programs, Informa
Data Center and Cloud in Africa: The Journey to 2500 MW: Guy Zibi, Managing Partner, Xalam Analytics, Johnson Agogbua, CEO, Kasi Cloud; Roger Shutte, General Manager, Infrastructure & Cloud Engineering, MTN Nigeria, Gbenga Adegbiji, CEO, Geniserve; George Etomi, George Etomi and Partners, Lars Johannisson, CEO, Rack Centre; Snehar Shah, Chief Executive Officer, IX Africa
Connectivity for Africa’s Future: Building Digital Arteries, Capillaries, and Veins:
Connectivity for Africa’s Future: Building Digital Arteries, Capillaries, and Veins: Lanre Kolade, Chairman, ConnectedCompute/former GMD, Csquared, Otuya Okecha, CEO, FibreSol; Wole Abu, CEO, Equinix West Africa, Muhammed Rudman, CEO, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria, Akeem Adeshina, Chief Commercial Officer, IHS Nigeria, Josephine Sarouk, Managing Director, Bayobab Nigeria
Networking break
Panel Session 3: From Mobile-First to AI-Ready: Will Africa Deliver on Innovation?; Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency; Russell Southwood, CEO, Balancing Act; James Wekesa, Group Commercial Officer, WIOCC. Bukola Ajayi, General Manager, Architecture and Enterprise IT, MTN Nigeria; Dr. Ayotunde Coker, CEO, Open Access Data Center
Beyond Infrastructure: Solving the Enterprise Execution Gap in Africa’s Digital Economy: Dr. Yele Okeremi CEO, Precise Financial Systems; Sayo Oshadami, Director, Solutions Architecture and Engineering, Equinix; Dr. Krish Ranganath, Regional Executive, Africa Data Centres
Lunch Break
Unlocking Patient Capital for Africa’s Digital Backbone: Oguche Agudah, CEO, Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria (PENOP); Begna Gebreyes, Director and Head, Heavy Industries, Telecoms & Technology (HITT), Africa Finance Corporation (AFC); Chinyerugo Ugoji, Partner, AELEX; Vivek Mittal, Chief Executive Officer, African Infrastructure Development Association; Ben Roberts, Principal, Digital Economy Advisors
Shaping Africa’s digital future: policy, and regulatory frameworks for accelerated growth: Dr. Houda Chichi, Sup’COM, Tunisia; Mohammed Besheer, Head, Network and Infrastructure, Central Bank of Egypt; Kazeem Oladepo, Chief Operating Officer, IHS
2025 Conference Chairperson: Kazeem Oladepo, Chief Operating Officer, IHS
Welcome Address
Keynote 1
Data Center and Cloud in Africa: The Journey to 2500 MW: Johnson Agogbua; Guy Zibi, Managing Partner, Xalam Analytics 2/6
Keynote 2
Connectivity for Africa’s Future: Building Digital Arteries, Capillaries, and Veins: Lanre Kolade, Chairman, ConnectedCompute/former GMD, Csquared, Otuya Okecha, CEO, FibreSol, Ben Roberts, Principal, Digital Economy Advisors, Wole Abu, CEO, Equinix West Africa, Muhammed Rudman, CEO, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria 5/6
Networking break
Powering Progress – Energy Access as the Backbone of Africa’s Digital Future: Gbenga Adegbiji, CEO, Geniserve; George Etomi, George Etomi and Partners, Dr. Ayotunde Coker, CEO, Open Access Data Center; Folake Soetan, CEO, Ikeja Electric 3/6
From Mobile-First to AI-Ready: Will Africa Deliver on Innovation? Olatomiwa Williams, Managing Director, Microsoft Nigeria; James Wekesa, Group Commercial Officer, WIOCC. Bukola Ajayi, General Manager, Architecture and Enterprise IT, MTN Nigeria 3/6
Beyond Infrastructure: Solving the Enterprise Execution Gap in Africa’s Digital Economy: Dr. Yele Okeremi CEO, PFS; Innocent Ike, CEO, Access Holdings; Mrs. Olusola Adenuga, CEO, Olla Systems, Sayo Oshadami, Director Solutions Architecture and Engineering, Equinix 4/6
Lunch Break
Unlocking Patient Capital for Africa’s Digital Backbone: Oguche Agudah, CEO, PENOP; Chinyerugo Ugoji, Partner, AELEX
2/6
Shaping Africa’s digital future: policy, and regulatory frameworks for accelerated growth: Dr. Houda Chihi, Sup’COM, Tunisia; Mohammed Besheer, Head, Network and Infrastructure, Central Bank of Egypt; Honorable Tubosun Alake, Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Lagos State Government 4/6,
Closing Thanks
The theme “Building a Digital Africa: Connectivities, Collaborations, Convergence” underscores the essential pillars driving Africa’s digital transformation.
Hyperscalers Convergence Africa brings together Africa’s digital decision-makers and key enablers for inclusive dialogue and strategic partnerships, aimed at developing innovative, sustainable solutions to overcome infrastructural barriers hindering a fully connected digital economy.
Hyperscalers Convergence Africa (HCA) conference facilitates strategic and impactful partnerships, trade-offs, networking, and learnings between the continent’s regulators, decision-makers, Indigenous and international connectivity providers, and enablers.
Whether you’re a hyperscaler expanding edge zones, a telco rolling out fiber, a regulator shaping data policies, or an investor seeking long-term value — Hyperscalers Convergence Africa is where your journey converges with the continent’s future.
For sponsorships, partnerships, and speaker inquiries, contact:
projects@hyperscalers.news
Dr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi
Director General/CEO
Nigerian Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)
Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi serves as the Director-General/CEO of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), having first been appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari in August 2019 and reappointed by President Bola Tinubu in October 2023, now embarking on his second term; he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, and is distinguished as the first Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) in Nigeria’s public sector, with expansive professional certifications in networking, telecommunications, service management, and solution design, enhanced further by executive education at globally esteemed institutions including Harvard, the University of Cambridge, Oxford, MIT Sloan, and IMD Business School; previously he made significant contributions as a network engineer and lead solutions architect at Galaxy Backbone, then as Technology Architect at the Central Bank of Nigeria where he helped develop the Technology Architecture Repository and orchestrated software license rationalization yielding substantial cost savings; at NITDA he began as Technical Assistant in 2017, playing a pivotal role in IT regulation, local content development, procurement reform and digital inclusion before his promotion to DG, where under his leadership the agency has delivered landmark initiatives including the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) implementation that catalyzed a multi-billion-naira data protection industry, established the Nigerian Data Protection Commission, introduced the IT project clearance process that saved the government hundreds of billions of naira, rolled out digital literacy programs such as Digital Literacy for All and Digital Literacy for All (DL4ALL) targeting near-universal digital literacy by 2030, launched Three Million Tech Talents (3MTT), the National Public Key Infrastructure to enhance cybersecurity, and transformative frameworks like the Strategic Roadmap & Action Plan (SRAP), while also championing talent development, startup empowerment, smart agriculture via NAVSA, blockchain and outsourcing strategies, all of which have contributed to elevating the digital economy’s share of GDP from approximately 12 percent in 2019 to over 18 percent by 2022; known for a leadership style focused on clarity, autonomy, mastery, purpose, and trust, he continues to drive NITDA’s transformation into a dynamic, inclusive, and innovation-driven institution propelling Nigeria’s digital economy forward.
Bill Kleyman
Co-founder and CEO, Apolo.us
Bill Kleyman is the CEO of Apolo.us, a cutting-edge software platform that enhances data centers by integrating with existing infrastructure to create AI-driven environments. Apolo transforms data centers into advanced AI powerhouses, maximizing their artificial intelligence capabilities. In addition to his role at Apolo.us, Bill serves as the Program Chair for AFCOM and Data Center World and is the Chairperson for the Millennial and Gen Z Resource Group at Infrastructure Masons. With over 15 years of experience in enterprise technology, Bill is also an accomplished writer and blogger. His work has been published and referenced across prominent platforms such as Data Center Knowledge, AFCOM, ITPro Today, InformationWeek, NetworkComputing, TechTarget, DarkReading, Forbes, CBS Interactive, and Slashdot. He is a renowned conference speaker, offering thought leadership at major industry events including AFCOM Data Center World, DCD, Interop, Google Partner Days, AFCOM Leaders Labs, Informa, HIMSS, and others.
Olatubosun Alake
Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology, Lagos State.
Olatubosun Alake is an Information Technology and Business Management, executive with a wealth of experience across diverse facets of the technology sector. Currently serving as the Honourable Commissioner for the Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology in Lagos State, Mr. Alake has established himself as an innovation champion.
His career journey encompasses expertise in Product Management, Business Intelligence, Application Deployment, and Business Development, with extensive contributions in the Telecoms, IT, Media, and entertainment industries. Mr. Alake's portfolio includes the management and deployment of a wide range of applications that have significantly enhanced value for both employees and customers within these sectors.
Prior to his government role, Mr. Alake held the position of General Manager of IT and Innovation at the Filmhouse and FilmOne Group, the largest Cinema and Motion Picture distribution group in West Africa. His career started as a technology consultant in Philadelphia, USA, where he tackled technology-related challenges for clients spanning the hardware and software domains.
Upon his return to Nigeria, Mr. Alake assumed the role of Technical Learning & Development Specialist at IPNX Telecoms Nigeria Ltd. His responsibilities encompassed the deployment and management of technical and organizational learning programs, which played a pivotal role in elevating organizational productivity.
Subsequently, his tenure at IPNX saw him assume various functional and leadership roles, notably as the Head of the Business Intelligence unit.
Mr. Olatubosun also made significant contributions as the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Innovation and Technology. His efforts led to an impressive 250% increase in innovation activity within the government. Known for his adept problem-solving skills and the ability to identify critical issues and provide value-driven solutions, he played a crucial role in the initial phase of the Lagos State Smart City project. Mr. Alake holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer & Information Science from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Additionally, he possesses a Master's in Business Administration with a concentration in General Management. He also holds a certificate in Organizational Choice Architecture and decision Science from the Harvard Kennedy School; and a certificate in Policy for Science, Technology and Innovation from the MITx program.
Wole Abu
CEO, Liquid Intelligent Technologies Nigeria
Wole Abu is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Liquid Intelligent Technologies Nigeria. Prior to his appointment at Liquid Intelligent Technologies, Abu served as the Chief Executive Officer of Pan African Towers, a telecom infrastructure company he built to one of the leading towercos in Nigeria. Abu also served as Vice President of Sales at Airtel Nigeria, where he also held several senior management roles in the Human Resources, Engineering, Operations, Finance, Legal, and Marketing departments respectively since joining the company in 2010. He worked with Vee Networks Limited as a Project Manager from 2004 to 2006 before joining Celtel Nigeria Limited, Zain Nigeria Limited and Bharti Airtel Limited in 2006 as HOD Business Support, in 2009 as Regional Sales Manager, and in 2012 as General Manager, Acquisition.
This polyfocal blend of functional skills, makes Abu a very experienced leader and force in the telecoms sector as he is poised to bridge the connectivity gap in Africa in an environmentally sustainable fashion. This is demonstrated as he was recently honoured as one of the most influential black CEOs to Follow in 2023 by CIOVIEWS Magazine, a globally renowned Magazine. Shortly after, he forged a partnership with Meta AI for the launch of the Large Language Model AI (LlaMa 2) in July 2023. He was also recognised as one of the Top 50 Digital Economy Leaders at the 8th Africa Digital Economy Awards (ADEA) in 2023. This achievement is not shocking as he was named one of the top 20 Towercos Chief Executives in the World by TowerXchange in 2020. Abu, in his storied career also won the Nigeria Tech Innovation and Telecom Award (NTITA) by the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) for his outstanding contributions to the growth and development of the telecom industry. Abu was also elected by the same association to serve as its Publicity Secretary in 2020-2023 and was recently appointed as the organisation’s Treasurer in 2023. He has managed across startups and mature companies, leading these businesses into periods of massive and rapid growth through new business service rollouts, while driving positive change in the respective companies.
Abu was instrumental to Liquid Intelligent Technologies building the largest data centre in Nigeria called the Africa Data Centre. Abu led Liquid to be the first company to light up capacity on the Equiano cable in Nigeria with Active Nx100G waves between Lagos to Sesimbra, Portugal and Lagos to Melkbosstrand South Africa. He also led Liquid Nigeria to deliver over 150km of metro fiber in Lagos. With operations launched officially in November 2022, Abu has led Liquid Intelligent Technologies to have active PoPs in Lagos, Abuja and Port-Harcourt, making the company a one stop shop for local and international connectivity, cloud, cyber security, SD-WAN, SAN and systems integration in Nigeria.
Abu is a member of the Project Management Institute, and volunteers regularly for causes that protect families and empowers communities. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering with Honours from the University of Benin in 1990 and an MBA from the Lagos Business School in 2006. In 2012, Abu attended the Indian Institute of Business Management, Ahmedabad where he acquired a certification in Business Administration and Management. In 2020, Abu got a professional education certification from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Digital Transformation: From AI and IoT to Blockchain, Cloud and Cybersecurity. In the same year, the Technological Titan attended the Podcasting Workshop and got the POD Certificate granted.Abu has attended several leadership courses in top educational institutions and consistently gives talks and makes presentations in top conferences and seminars globally. Abu is creative, innovative, visionary and a strategic planner who has an excellent sense of business ethics and corporate governance.
While at Pan African Towers, Mr. Abu led the company to win four significant awards in its two years of business operations including the Telecoms Infrastructure Company of the Year Award at the 2020 Nigeria Business Leadership Awards (NBLA) organised by BusinessDay.
With his continued leadership style, rare enthusiasm and heightened drive to revolutionise the telecom industry in Nigeria, Mr. Abu is dedicated to making a significant impact on the society.
Managing Director, Bayobab
Josephine Sarouk is the Managing Director of Bayobab, formerly MTN Global Connect Nigeria.
A proficient and goal-driven Business Leader with over 20 years of experience, Josephine Sarouk has excelled in strategic and tactical business leadership roles across various technology companies. She has also provided valuable consulting services to Start-ups and Small to Medium Enterprises.
As a Harvard GMP alumni, Josephine brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the table. She is dedicated to advancing women entrepreneurs and women-led businesses, and actively contributes as a member of the WISCAR Membership and Partnerships Committee.
Josephine's passion for empowering individuals extends beyond her professional endeavors. She runs a podcast titled "Whatnext by Josephine Sarouk," where she shares practical advice and tools to help listeners navigate their personal and professional journeys towards self-actualization.
In addition, Josephine provides coaching and mentorship to graduates, equipping them with the skills and confidence they need to enter the workforce. Her commitment to empowering the next generation is evident in her dedication to helping others achieve their full potential.
Principal, Digital Economy Advisors/former Group CTO, Liquid Telecoms
General Manager, Architecture and Engineering, MTN Nigeria
Mohammed Besheer is a strategic and results-driven IT leader with over 18 years of experience managing and transforming IT infrastructure, operations, and teams across diverse sectors, including banking, telecoms, ISPs, education, oil & energy, and the public sector. He has a proven track record in driving digital transformation, leading high-performing teams, and executing large-scale IT projects that deliver measurable business value.
He currently serves as Deputy IT Director at the Egyptian Banking Institute, where he is responsible for IT strategy, infrastructure modernization, and secure network operations. In this role, he focuses on network infrastructure, cloud services, cybersecurity, and IT governance, ensuring technology is tightly aligned with business goals to enhance performance, security, and innovation.
Previously, Mohammed was Head of IT Networks & Infrastructure at the Institute, leading critical enterprise-wide upgrades. Before that, he spent nearly five years at TotalEnergies Egypt, rising from IT Network and Infrastructure Supervisor to Senior Supervisor, where he strengthened enterprise resilience and optimized business connectivity. He also spent more than eight years at Vodafone Egypt, where he progressed from Fixed Data Network Engineer to NOC Team Leader, driving service reliability and leading incident management across one of the region’s largest networks. He began his career at NOOR Data Network as a Network Support Engineer.
Mohammed holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications and Electronics Engineering from Helwan University, Cairo, with a specialization in Communications and Networks Engineering. Recognized for his expertise in network design, IT infrastructure management, cybersecurity, and IT governance, he brings deep sectoral knowledge and a commitment to aligning IT strategy with national and organizational priorities.
Senior researcher, Innov’COM Laboratory of Sup’COM Tunisia
Houda CHIHI has a PhD in telecommunication, a senior researcher at Innov’COM Laboratory of Sup’COM Tunisia, Techwomen Fellow 2019. Her research focus includes wireless communication, mobile communication, signal processing, vehicular communication, cybersecurity, AI, digital inclusion & equity.
She is the North Africa coordinator of IPv6 cybersecurity. She is a member of the ISOC chapter Tunisia, a member of the African Union Expert Cybersecurity Group, a member of the NCSG ICANN and a reviewer in many IEEE conferences. She is an ICANN & IETF fellow. After her PhD, she worked as a temporary assistant in many engineering schools well ranked in Tunisia, such as Sup’COM, ISET'COM, ESPRIT, ISAMM. She was selected as a TechWomen Emerging Leader, which is a program funded by the IIE of the US in 2019. She had the opportunity to spend a professional mentorship at Qualcomm California, where she learned about 5G, V2X, and Wi-Fi 6 technologies. I am an international speaker and trainer.
George Etomi
Founding Partner, George Etomi & Partners
Mr. Etomi is a distinguished transaction lawyer regularly consulted by multinational companies and top government agencies. He was closely involved in acting for the first mobile telephone service in the country and advised major foreign airlines operating in Nigeria. He has extensive experience in commercial transactions, spanning Arbitration and other ADR methods, Aviation, Building and Construction, Banking and Finance, Energy and Natural Resources. He has represented clients on a variety of corporate and commercial matters including public and private offerings, privatisation and major project finance transactions.
Mr. Etomi also has a special interest in the Energy and Natural Resources field and is a member of Center for Petroleum Law Research [CPLR]. He has worked over the years with numerous multinational oil companies. In the power sector space, he supported power investors during the acquisition and concession of Successor Companies in the Nigerian power privatisation process and provided high-level legal advisory services to the Government and core investors alike throughout the several stages of the privatisation process. Mr. Etomi is a Director on the Board of one of the top performing Utilities in Nigeria where he serves as the Committee Chairman of The Board Legal, Corporate Governance and Regulatory Affairs Committee. He also serves as the Vice Chairman of the National Advisory Council of Designated Non-Financial Institutions, a body set up by the Special Control Unit against Money Laundering (SCUML).
Mr. Etomi is the first past Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association, Section on Business Law [NBA-SBL] and recently, the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies named a centre after him: “The George Etomi Centre for Strategic Investment and Corporate Governance”. Mr. Etomi has also been given a Professorial Chair at the Institute. In 2016, George Etomi was appointed a member of the Body of Benchers, the highest regulatory body of the legal profession in Nigeria. He is a recipient of the National Productivity Order of Merit Award. He is also a member of the International Trade in Legal Services of the Bar Issues Commission of the IBA and a regular facilitator at global business conferences.
Mr. Etomi is a renowned author of several publications including his latest book titled, “An Introduction to Commercial Law in Nigeria – Cases, Texts and Materials”, where he brings to bear his over 42 years’ experience in commercial law practice in Nigeria, published in 2014.
Lanre Kolade
Chairman,
ConnectedCompute/Former GMD, Csquared
Lanre Kolade is the founder of Koltronics Nigeria Limited and the Chairman of ConnectedCompute.
Before this he was the Group Chief Executive Officer at CSquared, a pan-African operator of wholesale, open-access broadband infrastructure He has over 26 years of experience in the telecommunications industry spanning both Francophone and Anglophone Africa.
Prior to joining CSquared, he was Managing Director of Vodacom Business in Nigeria. He also previously served as Managing Director of Vodacom Business for the West, East, Central, & South-East regions in Africa. He is a graduate of Wits Business School, London Business School, and Obafemi Awolowo University, holding a BSc in Electrical Engineering/Telecoms.
Lanre pivoted CSquared from a purely metro fiber player to long-haul national fiber and subsea powerhouse. He orchestrated the 1st landing of Google's Equiano submarine cable in mainland Africa with the Togo landing, and led CSquared's expansion into the Democratic Republic of Congo.
James Wekesa
Group Chief Commercial Officer, WIOCC
James Wekesa Wafula has extensive experience in the telecommunications industry, working in various leadership roles for companies such as Afsat Communications Services Limited and Kencell Communication Limited. With a strong educational background including an MBA in Operations Management, James is currently the Head of Special Projects at Afsat Communications Services Limited, where James Wekesa oversees the deployment of major projects across Africa.
Bukola Ajayi
General Manager, Architecture and Engineering, MTN Nigeria
Bukola Ajayi is a technology and business leader with over two and half decades of experience driving digital transformation in the telecoms and financial services industries. Currently serving as General Manager, Architecture and Engineering at MTN Nigeria, she leads the delivery of secure, scalable, and resilient IT platforms that power innovation and customer experience. An alumna of Lagos Business School and Harvard Business School, Bukola is recognized for blending technical expertise with strategic insight to create lasting business impact.
Bukola Ajayi
General Manager, Architecture and Engineering, MTN Nigeria
Bukola Ajayi is a technology and business leader with over two and half decades of experience driving digital transformation in the telecoms and financial services industries. Currently serving as General Manager, Architecture and Engineering at MTN Nigeria, she leads the delivery of secure, scalable, and resilient IT platforms that power innovation and customer experience. An alumna of Lagos Business School and Harvard Business School, Bukola is recognized for blending technical expertise with strategic insight to create lasting business impact.
Bukola Ajayi
General Manager, Architecture and Engineering, MTN Nigeria
Bukola Ajayi is a technology and business leader with over two and half decades of experience driving digital transformation in the telecoms and financial services industries. Currently serving as General Manager, Architecture and Engineering at MTN Nigeria, she leads the delivery of secure, scalable, and resilient IT platforms that power innovation and customer experience. An alumna of Lagos Business School and Harvard Business School, Bukola is recognized for blending technical expertise with strategic insight to create lasting business impact.
Bukola Ajayi
General Manager, Architecture and Engineering, MTN Nigeria
Bukola Ajayi is a technology and business leader with over two and half decades of experience driving digital transformation in the telecoms and financial services industries. Currently serving as General Manager, Architecture and Engineering at MTN Nigeria, she leads the delivery of secure, scalable, and resilient IT platforms that power innovation and customer experience. An alumna of Lagos Business School and Harvard Business School, Bukola is recognized for blending technical expertise with strategic insight to create lasting business impact.
Bukola Ajayi
General Manager, Architecture and Engineering, MTN Nigeria
Bukola Ajayi is a technology and business leader with over two and half decades of experience driving digital transformation in the telecoms and financial services industries. Currently serving as General Manager, Architecture and Engineering at MTN Nigeria, she leads the delivery of secure, scalable, and resilient IT platforms that power innovation and customer experience. An alumna of Lagos Business School and Harvard Business School, Bukola is recognized for blending technical expertise with strategic insight to create lasting business impact.
Bukola Ajayi
General Manager, Architecture and Engineering, MTN Nigeria
Bukola Ajayi is a technology and business leader with over two and half decades of experience driving digital transformation in the telecoms and financial services industries. Currently serving as General Manager, Architecture and Engineering at MTN Nigeria, she leads the delivery of secure, scalable, and resilient IT platforms that power innovation and customer experience. An alumna of Lagos Business School and Harvard Business School, Bukola is recognized for blending technical expertise with strategic insight to create lasting business impact.
Bukola Ajayi
General Manager, Architecture and Engineering, MTN Nigeria
Bukola Ajayi is a technology and business leader with over two and half decades of experience driving digital transformation in the telecoms and financial services industries. Currently serving as General Manager, Architecture and Engineering at MTN Nigeria, she leads the delivery of secure, scalable, and resilient IT platforms that power innovation and customer experience. An alumna of Lagos Business School and Harvard Business School, Bukola is recognized for blending technical expertise with strategic insight to create lasting business impact.
Bukola Ajayi
General Manager, Architecture and Engineering, MTN Nigeria
Bukola Ajayi is a technology and business leader with over two and half decades of experience driving digital transformation in the telecoms and financial services industries. Currently serving as General Manager, Architecture and Engineering at MTN Nigeria, she leads the delivery of secure, scalable, and resilient IT platforms that power innovation and customer experience. An alumna of Lagos Business School and Harvard Business School, Bukola is recognized for blending technical expertise with strategic insight to create lasting business impact.
Begna Gebreyes
Deputy Director and Head of Heavy Industries, Telecoms and Technology, Africa Finance Corporation
Begna Gebreyes is Head of Heavy Industries, Telecoms & Technology (HITT) at Africa Finance Corporation (AFC).
As Head of HITT, he oversees a portfolio of US$1 billion in debt and equity investments. He has over 20 years' experience of investment banking and private equity across North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
For the last 10 years he has been financing greenfield and brown expansion projects across AFC’s 40 member countries in the natural resources, transport, heavy industries, telecoms and technology sectors.
Prior to AFC, he held various roles at Standard Chartered Plc, CapitalSource Inc. and Bank of America N. A. He received his BA from Stanford University, MBA from University of California: Berkeley Haas and is a CFA charterholder.
Roger Shutte
General Manager of IT, Infrastructure & Cloud, MTN Nigeria
Roger Shutte is the General Manager of IT Infrastructure & Cloud at MTN Nigeria. With nearly three decades of experience, he excels in IT operations, service delivery, and managing complex technical environments. Roger has successfully led critical data center migrations, spearheaded comprehensive cloud transformations, and delivered strategic IT initiatives. He is passionate about promoting diversity within the tech industry and is known for his leadership in building high-performing teams. Roger has built data center teams in six different countries, underscoring his global expertise. He is committed to fostering inclusive workplaces that drive innovation and growth
Johnson Agogbua
CEO, Kasi Cloud Datacenters
Johnson Agogbua is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Kasi Cloud Datacenters. Johnson is a seasoned global operating executive, Internet technologist, and serial entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience. Johnson is a visionary and business leader with an extensive track record of driving strategy, execution, and business results.
Prior to Kasi, Johnson was the Director of Facebook Connectivity Solutions with a mission to connect the next billion to the internet. Before Facebook, Johnson served in several roles, from founding and running companies, sitting on company boards of directors and advisory boards, to running large technology and business organizations connecting people and enterprises. Johnson has led large business organizations in technology companies such as Alcatel-Lucent. He built the Alcatel-Lucent Application Solutions from concept
to market adoption. He recruited and led the RIL/Alcatel-Lucent joint team that architected Infrastructure for Reliance Jio, India’s largest 4G/LTE network, and application services.
In his earlier days as an internet technologist, Johnson led the UUNET Technologies Global Network Engineering teams that designed and deployed the largest commercial internet backbone in the world. UUNET was acquired by MCI WorldCom (now Verizon). Johnson was appointed to the Technical Advisory Council of the United States FCC. He also co-founded the MPLS Forum and was a member of the founding Board of Directors.
Russell Southwood
CEO, Balancing Act
Russell Southwood is the Chief Executive, Balancing Act, a consultancy and research company specialising in telecoms, Internet and broadcasting in Africa. His consultancy work has included: an assessment of two different sectors in the TV market in Africa; an assessment of the transition to digital broadcasting in over 20 African countries; an appraisal of an investment in a wireless broadband operator; and a study on Open Access models for infoDev. He is the author of Balancing Act’s Briefing Paper The Digital Transition – Changing how broadcast functions. He is about to start a study for the Open Society Institute with a research team looking at cost-effective ways of digital migration in Africa and identifying what the “public interest” issues are to be addressed in making the transition.
Bukola Ajayi
General Manager, Architecture and Engineering, MTN Nigeria
Bukola Ajayi is a technology and business leader with over two and half decades of experience driving digital transformation in the telecoms and financial services industries. Currently serving as General Manager, Architecture and Engineering at MTN Nigeria, she leads the delivery of secure, scalable, and resilient IT platforms that power innovation and customer experience. An alumna of Lagos Business School and Harvard Business School, Bukola is recognized for blending technical expertise with strategic insight to create lasting business impact.
