Tizeti CMO Steps Down After Expanding Regional Reach

Temitope Osunrinde, a seasoned broadband executive and one of West Africa’s most recognisable digital infrastructure voices, has stepped down as Chief Marketing Officer at Tizeti. After three years leading strategy at the solar-powered internet provider, Osunrinde says he’s moving on to pursue new opportunities in Africa’s wider digital transformation agenda.

Describing his time at Tizeti as “an incredible journey”, Osunrinde reflected on the milestones achieved — from launching in new states to brokering key partnerships and driving revenue growth. “Every challenge was an opportunity to learn, lead, and contribute to bridging Africa’s digital divide,” he wrote in a farewell note.

He also said the experience helped him understand what it takes to bring unconnected communities online. “A 30-minute connection used to mean travelling half a day. I’ve seen the joy when that changes,” he added.

From Wholesale to Frontline Connectivity

Before joining Tizeti, Osunrinde held senior roles at MainOne, where he helped build out enterprise connectivity and played a key role in launching MDXi, its data centre subsidiary. That work helped transform MDXi into a major interconnection hub, especially after MainOne’s $320 million acquisition by Equinix in 2021 — a deal that marked Equinix’s entry into Africa.

At Verraki Africa, a consulting firm linked to Andersen Consulting, Osunrinde advised corporates and governments on tech-enabled growth. But when he joined Tizeti, he made a deliberate shift to get closer to the end user.

“I knew I lacked firsthand exposure to the consumer end, where the rubber meets the road,” he said, referencing infrastructure costs, vandalism, and low digital literacy as everyday hurdles faced by ISPs in the region.

For Osunrinde, the real challenge has never been about fibre versus satellite, or mobile versus fixed wireless. “It doesn’t matter how you get there; what matters is that people are connected,” he stated.

Next Chapter in Africa’s Digital Playbook

Although Osunrinde hasn’t revealed his next move, he made it clear that he’s not stepping away from the continent’s connectivity mission. “There is still so much to be done to improve connectivity in Nigeria and Africa,” he said. “My commitment to Africa’s digital transformation remains stronger than ever.”

His resignation comes as Tizeti continues rolling out solar-powered towers and cost-effective last-mile solutions across underserved West African communities.