Tonye Irims’ biography: What to understand about the Nigerian behind WiSolar
There are numerous Nigerians residing outside their homeland who have been able to carve out a reputation for themselves in their host nations and are thriving.
One such individual is Tonye Irims, the Chief Executive Officer of WiSolar, a solar energy firm based in South Africa.
For Tonye Irims, existence wasn’t a walk in the park as an outsider in South Africa; the Nigerian born CEO migrated to South Africa at the age of 23.
In his initial years in the nation, he managed to sustain himself by taking up low-level jobs; subsequently, he secured a sales role at a household goods company that enabled him to travel extensively across South Africa.
In addition to being an entrepreneur and businessman, Tonye Irims also explored commercial print modeling at a certain phase of his career.
Thanks to his remarkable success in South Africa, he has attracted public attention, and many are eager to learn more about him.
This piece focuses on all the essential details you ought to know regarding Tonye Irims; keep reading for further insights.
Profile Overview
| Full Name | Tonye Irims |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of birth | December 2 1970 |
| Age | 51 years old |
| Place of birth | Rivers state |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Father | Captain B.T Irimagha |
| Mother | Muriel Irimagha |
| Occupation | CEO WiSolar |
| Education | University of Port Harcourt, Imperial College London |
Tonye Irim’s biography
Tonye Irims was born on December 2nd, 1970, in Rivers state, Nigeria, to Captain B.T and Muriel Irimagha.
The records show that Tonye Irims’ father, now deceased, was a navigator who served in the Nigerian Navy, Mobil, and NNPC, while his mother, Muriel Irimagha, is a businesswoman of royal Bonny Kingdom lineage.
Tonye Irims is the eldest of six sons born to his parents; he is a Nigerian national and currently resides in South Africa; he marked his 51st birthday in December 2021.
Education
Tonye Irims attended Corona nursery & primary school, Apapa, and Imola Day primary school, Alasia, Lagos, before proceeding to Command Secondary School, Jos, for his secondary education.
Similar to his father, Tonye Irims aspired to become a mariner; however, opportunities were limited in Nigeria at the time, leading him to obtain a degree in Marketing from the University of Port Harcourt.
Tonye Irims also attended Imperial College London, where he studied Clean Energy. The Nigerian born entrepreneur has also attended esteemed institutions such as the University of Maryland College Park, University of Virginia Darden School of Business, and Harvard Law School.
Career
As mentioned at the outset of this article, Tonye Irims launched his career by taking on low-wage jobs in South Africa; however, his pivotal moment that led to a transformation in his
profession emerged after he encountered Nigerian tycoon Dr Mike Adenuga, and he proposed to serve as a volunteer for the business mogul.
In 2006, Tonye Irims established Wikiglobal, where he unveiled the initial dual SIM semi-feature phones utilizing the nucleus O.S via its mobile division Wimobile in Southern Africa. He would subsequently abandon the concept and licensed it to a company in South Africa.
In 2016, Tonye Irims initiated WiSolar and nearly deserted the concept due to poor sales, but the firm experienced a significant success in 2018. Initially, it secured $4000 in seed funding, and the demand for coal-based energy in South Africa saw a notable decline, exacerbating the nation’s power issues, thereby prompting citizens to seek alternatives.
Personal Life
Tonye Irims resides in Lagos, Nigeria, and Johannesburg, South Africa. On January 6th, Tonye Irims made headlines following a report that disclosed a theft incident at his farm located in Bronkhorstspruit, Gauteng province, South Africa. The report indicated that the Nigerian entrepreneur suffered a gunshot wound to his foot and has since recuperated from the occurrence.
