From the School of Mines to global connectivity networks…
Born in Aioun, in eastern Mauritania, Ibrahima Ba took his first steps in the national education system, between Bassiknou, Atar, Aioun, and Nouakchott. After his baccalaureate, he went to study medicine in Dakar, but then switched to mathematics and physics. The events of 1989 forced him to leave the country to continue his studies in France, where he joined the École Nationale Supérieure des Mines de Saint-Étienne. His final internship took him to the Argonne National Laboratory in the United States, where he worked on superconductivity. He was then hired as an engineer there.
Wanting to broaden his perspectives in the private sector, he furthered his education with an MBA at the Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University). He then began a career in strategic consulting, first at Oliver Wyman, then at Lumen, a major player in telecommunications infrastructure. There, he led innovative projects in the United States and Europe. Seeking meaning, he then joined HIP Consult, a Washington-based firm specializing in emerging markets, where he contributed to large-scale connectivity projects in Africa, notably in Nigeria, South Africa, and in preparation for the 2010 World Cup.
In 2016, he joined Facebook (now Meta) in Menlo Park, California, to lead the group’s investments in connectivity infrastructure in Africa. His scope quickly expanded to Asia and Latin America. He then became one of the few Africans in a strategic position in the global deployment of digital connectivity.
A clear view of Africa’s digital future
Among the emblematic projects he led is 2Africa, the longest submarine cable ever built, connecting 33 countries including 19 African ones. He also mentions a partnership in Bali, Indonesia, aimed at covering the island with fiber optics, and a project in Uganda providing 4G access to two million people in a rural area, including refugee camps.
As an engaged observer, he laments that traditional operators, not used to taking risks, missed the innovation curve, often hindered by excessive regulations. In his view, Africa is a “mobile-first” continent, but infrastructure does not keep up with the growing demand for digital services, which could ultimately threaten the continent’s technological sovereignty. He emphasizes the need to create an environment conducive to the local development of applications, hosting international servers, and improving connectivity as essential conditions to make Nouakchott a true regional hub.
Concerned about data security issues, he points out that all connectivity involves some risk, but highlights the constant efforts of major platforms to protect physical infrastructure and information flows. He also questions the ecological effects of artificial intelligence, believing that its net impact remains to be measured, particularly through the increasing energy consumption of data centers.
To young Africans, he sends a message of encouragement: there is no need for a linear academic path to succeed in digital technology. According to him, what matters is passion, continuous learning, and a clear vision of technological challenges at the local and global levels.
