Aliyu Ikenna

Nigerian entrepreneur who built Africa's first fiber-optic network connecting 12 West African nations

Aliyu Ikenna (1928-2005) revolutionized African telecommunications through his visionary creation of the West African Fiber-Optic Network (WAFON). Starting as a radio technician in Lagos, he recognized the continent's need for modern infrastructure. His project overview shows how he secured funding from 15 governments to lay 15,000 km of submarine cables from 1968-1975. This network reduced communication costs by 80% and connected 200 million people across 12 countries. Ikenna's 1972 book <《Cables Across Continents》> details his engineering breakthroughs in maintaining cables in tropical conditions. He later founded Panafrica Telecom, which trained 5,000 technicians. His work enabled Nigeria's first satellite launch in 1976 and laid foundations for today's digital economy. The Aliyu Ikenna Award now honors ICT innovators in Africa. His legacy includes over 30 patents in signal transmission technology.