Modupe Gbadeyanka
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The construction of a data centre in Nigeria by Airtel Africa Plc has commenced, with the ground-breaking ceremony attended by the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Mr Bosun Tijani.
The new facility, Nxtra, is located in the Victoria Island of Lagos and has been tipped to be one of Africa’s largest networks of data centres.
Airtel Africa said this development underscores its commitment to meeting the continent’s data management needs by providing trusted and sustainable data centre capacity to serve the fast-growing African digital economy.
“We strongly believe that the establishment of NXtra Data Centers will enhance data sovereignty, security, and preservation within the continent, reflecting our commitment to make Nigeria a major hub for access to digital services as we propel Africa towards a sustainable and inclusive digital age,” the chief executive of Airtel Africa, Mr Segun Ogunsanya, stated.
“This mega project will provide over 1,000 jobs, and more significantly, once deployed and at capacity, it will create over 250 permanent jobs for Nigerians whilst supporting companies in the manufacturing, financial services, health care as they move their data and computing into third party data centres like ours. Ultimately, we have to store data and content closer to where it is being consumed,” he added.
He described the Nxtra project as a cornerstone of the organisation’s growth strategy, focusing on Nigeria, its largest market.
On his part, Mr Sanwo-Olu described the NXtra as the dawn of a new era in data control, security, and preservation throughout Africa.
He said, “Airtel’s commitment to the highest standards in data management, technological innovation, and extensive network infrastructure is truly commendable.”
“With a total capacity of 180 MW distributed across 13 major data centres and over 48 Edge Data Centres, NXtra is poised to redefine data storage and accessibility in Africa,” he submitted.
While also commenting, Mr Tijani extolled the revolutionary opportunities ahead for business and the economy in a future driven by connectivity via data centres such as NXtra and powered by technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) that is the future of business.
“Data is a key driver in our economy. Not only do we need to connect our people, but we also must invest in the digital economy, and through the investment that companies like Airtel have made in our economy, we are fully able to participate in the digital economy.”
