03 April 2024
Airtel Africa has officially broken ground on its first data centre in Lagos, Nigeria.
Nxtra by Airtel is set to be one of the largest networks of data centres in Africa, with high-capacity data centres in major cities located strategically across Airtel Africa’s footprint, complementing its existing edge sites.
The development underscores the company’s 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,” said group chief executive officer, Airtel Africa, Segun Ogunsanya. “This mega project will provide over 1000 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.”
“The NXtra Frontier is not merely the construction of a facility, but the dawn of a new era in data control, security, and preservation throughout Africa,” said governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. “Airtel’s commitment to the highest standards in data management, technological innovation, and extensive network infrastructure is truly commendable. With a total capacity of 180MW distributed across 13 major data centres and over 48 edge data centres, NXtra is poised to redefine data storage and accessibility in Africa.”
“Data is a key driver in our economy. Not only do we need to connect our people, 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,” said minister of communications, innovation and digital economy, Bosun Tijani.
