In light of the collapse in global crude prices, and attendant effects on Nigeria’s economy, the Chief Executive Officer of MainOne, Ms. Funke Opeke, has advocated ICT for improved cost efficiency in Nigeria. She stated this in her presentation “Enabling Oil and Gas production with Advanced Connectivity Solutions” at the Lagos Oil Club Q & A Session for January, 2015.

Speaking on the importance of ICT for the Oil and Gas industry, Opeke said “The role of ICT is particularly critical in driving down costs and optimizing operational efficiency in this period of falling oil prices. Oil and Gas companies need to adopt ICT solutions to maintain profitability. ”

The MainOne CEO added that global oil prices have expedited necessary fiscal belt-tightening measures. With Federal Government reviewing 6000 ongoing projects and proposing doubling of Value Added Tax from 5% to 10%, she urged Oil and Gas companies to follow suit and leverage available ICT infrastructure in Nigeria.

Opeke also disclosed plans to extend the MainOne subsea cable to Cameroun with a branch in the Oil producing Delta Region. She emphasized how this will significantly improve connectivity services in the South-South region of Nigeria, enabling Oil companies in this region to access the internet more effectively and also interconnect with their home offices. She specifically noted the importance of this project for enhanced connectivity of digital oil fields to MainOne’s premier Tier III Data Center, MDX-i.

MainOne offers telecommunications services which include data center, co-location, global video center, metro ethernet, managed services, global internet services and global IP transit. The MainOne Tier III Certified Data Center, MDX-i, is TIA (Telecommunication Industry Association) 942 compliant with 600 rack space and ample work area space.