Open Access Data Centres appoints new CEO

Open Access Data Centres (OADC), an African data centre company owned by the West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC), has announced the appointment of Ayotunde Coker as its new CEO with immediate effect. 

The appointment follows WIOCC’s raising of US$200mn in new funding late last year to build data centres and other infrastructure on the continent.

Coker enters the role with 35 years of international experience across Europe, USA, Asia and Africa. For the last eight years he has served as CEO and managing director of Nigerian data centre provider, Rack Centre. Prior to this, he worked as managing director and CEO of emerging markets payments, West Africa, at Rack Centre and before this as group CIO of Access Bank.

Commenting on his appointment, Coker said, “This is a dynamic period for businesses in Africa, with transformation driving rapid expansion of the continent’s digital infrastructure. I am excited to be joining OADC, which is set to play a huge role in establishing and growing the pan-African digital infrastructure and cloud ecosystem that will underpin this expansion –  supporting cloud operators, content providers, the wholesale community and major enterprises in extending their reach and operations across the continent.

“I am delighted to be leading OADC in transforming Africa’s digital capabilities, driving its deployment of a network and vibrant ecosystems of world-class, open-access digital infrastructure at strategic interconnection points throughout the continent. An opportunity for Africa to leapfrog the world.”

Growing digital infrastructures 

OADC supports and accelerate Africa’s digital transformation by constructing and operating a pan-African network of client-centric data centre facilities, fully connected into Africa’s largest network infrastructure and specifically designed to meet the demands of telcos, ISPs, the cloud operator and wholesale community and major enterprises such as finance and governments.

Under his leadership, OADC will support and accelerate Africa’s digital transformation by constructing and operating a pan-African network of world-class, client-centric, Tier III certified data centre facilities and a unique core-to-edge open-access edge data centre ecosystem, comprising hyperscale, regional and OADC Edge DCs.

Chris Wood, WIOCC group CEO, added, “I am absolutely delighted to welcome Tunde as CEO of Open Access Data Centres at this critical period in the company’s development. Having secured US$200mn in funding at the end of 2021, we are now engaged in transforming Africa’s digital infrastructure with the most extensive deployment ever in Africa of open-access national, regional and edge data centres. Tunde’s depth and breadth of experience and leadership, together with his stature and contacts in the African data centre industry will, I’m sure, be instrumental in ensuring the company’s success.“