Glo/CNN African Voices this weekend presents internet guru Nii Quaynor

The inspiring story of Ghanaian internet guru, Nii Narku Quaynor, will be featured in this weekend’s edition of African Voices, CNN International’s 30-minute magazine programme sponsored by telecoms operator, Globacom.

Globacom explained in a statement that Quaynor’s choice as special guest is in line with the philosophy of the programme to showcase successful personalities who are shaping the African continent in different fields of endeavour.

Professor Quaynor is a scientist and engineer, and is seen by many as ‘Africa’s Father of the Internet’ because of the important role he played in the introduction and development of the internet throughout Africa.

He received a Bachelor of Engineering degree from the Thayer School of Engineering in 1973 and an M.Sc. in Computer Science from the State University of New York at StonyBrook in 1974 and a Ph.D. from the same institution in 1977.

Upon returning to Ghana from the United States in the early 1990s Professor Quanor established some of Africa's first internet connections and was involved in setting up some key organisations including the African Network Operators Group (AfNOG). He introduced Value Added Networks in the region through the introduction of the SWIFT, Internet and Commerce networks, and was founding chairman of AfriNIC, the African numbers registry.

Quaynor is Chairman of the Ghanaian company, Network Computer Systems and a member of the United Nations Secretary General Advisory Group on ICT. He is also a member of the ITU Telecom Board, Chair of the OAU Internet Task Force, President of the Internet Society of Ghana, and member of the World Bank Information Development agency, TAP.

He was one of the founding members of the Computer Science Department at the University of Cape Coast in Ghana, and still holds a professorship there. He is also a member of the Council of the University of Ghana.

In December 2007, Quaynor was awarded the Jonathan B. Postel Service Award from the IETF (The Internet Engineering Task Force). He was recently inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame by the Internet Society.