Nigerian tycoon Solomon Onafowokan opens Africa’s largest fibre-optic cable plant
Nigerian industrialist Asiwaju Solomon Onafowokan, chairman of Coleman Technical Industries, has unveiled Africa’s largest fibre-optic cable plant in Sagamu, Ogun State, a major boost to Nigeria’s digital economy and broadband infrastructure.
The new facility can produce up to 9 million kilometres of fibre-optic cable annually, helping the country cut its reliance on imports while supporting export growth across West Africa.
Commissioned during Coleman’s 50th anniversary celebration, the Sagamu complex spans 350,000 square metres and includes advanced smelting sections for copper and aluminium production.
President Bola Tinubu praised the project as “the backbone of Nigeria’s digital future”, while the Communications Minister Bosun Tijani announced a collaboration with Coleman to roll out 90,000 kilometres of cable nationwide under a World Bank–supported broadband program worth $500 million.
Onafowokan, who founded Coleman in the early 1970s, said the company is targeting N15 trillion ($10 billion) in future domestic and export revenue as it expands into advanced fibre technology.
