Nii Quaynor graduated from Dartmouth College, USA in 1972 with B.A (Engineering Science) and received a Ph.D (Computer Science) in distributed systems in 1977 from State University of New York USA (S.U.N.Y) at Stony Brook. The first Ghanaian Ph.D in Computer Science.
Nii worked with Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), U.S.A from 1977 till 1992 and returned to Ghana to establish the first Internet Service Provider ((ISP) in West Africa, operated by Network Computer Systems (NCS) in 1993. NCS established several local and wide area network infrastructure for companies. NCS provided technical services to Telecom companies and assisted other countries gain internet. NCS also built the initial Bank of Ghana SWIFT network interconnecting 9 banks.
Nii further established one of first ICANN Accredited Domain Registrars in Africa, Ghana Dot Com (GDC), in 2006. GDC is a digital, crypto currency, payments and Blockchain Service Provider.
Nii had earlier in 1979 established the Computer Science Department at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana.
Nii is the Convener of African Network Operators Group (AfNOG), a network technology transfer institution since 2000 and Founding Chairman of African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC), the Regional Registry for Internet Numbers resources for Africa. He is also a Founding Member of Africa Computer Emergency Response Team (AfricaCERT) and West & Central African Research & Education Network (WACREN).
Nii taught microprocessors with International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP, Italy) in several developing countries.
He is a member of ZA Central Registry (DotAfrica) Board and Patron of Internet Society, (ISOC) Ghana Chapter.
Nii has served on several Boards, Commissions including Internet Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers (ICANN), United Nations Information, Communications Technology Force (UN-ICT), Internet Governance Forum, Multi-Stakeholder Advisory Group (IGF-MAG), University of Ghana Council, Ghana News Agency (GNA), National Identification Authority (NIA), ICANN Strategy Panel on Public Responsibility and the Global Commission on Internet Governance (GCIG) Ghana Interbank Payment & Settlement Systems (GhiPPS )board. He is the former chairman of the board of National IT Agency (NITA) in Ghana.
Nii remains the Chairman of Ghana Dot Com (GDC) and a Professor of Computer Science at University of Cape-Coast, Ghana.
Nii received the Internet Society’s prestigious Jonathan Postel Service Award for pioneering work to advance Internet in Africa in December 2007. He was also inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame in August 2013 for his pioneering role in the development of the Internet in Africa. Further, Nii received the Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah Genius Award for Information Communication Technology in Dec 2014. Nii was awarded ICANN’s Multi-Stakeholder Ethos award in June 2015. Nii is affectionately referred to as "The Father of Internet in Africa" for his pioneering role in the development of the Internet in Africa and also for having founded many of the regional Internet technical institutions in Africa.