MTN Nigeria has officially launched the first phase of its USD 235-million Dabengwa Sifiso Data Center in Lagos, marking a major step in the country’s digital infrastructure development. Alongside the facility, MTN introduced a new cloud service designed to compete with global players such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft, and Google.
Named in honor of former MTN Group CEO, Sifiso Dabengwa, the Tier III-certified facility currently supports 780 racks with an IT load capacity of 4.5 MW. Plans for Phase 2 aim to elevate the center to Tier IV standards, expanding capacity to 14 MW, or more, depending on future demand; although, a completion timeline has not yet been disclosed.
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An estimated USD 150 million was invested in the first phase of the data center, with an additional USD 20 million allocated for the new cloud infrastructure. MTN’s cloud offering includes self-orchestration capabilities, enabling developers to independently manage computing and storage resources.
Lynda Saint-Nwafor, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Enterprise Business Officer, emphasized the benefits of a locally hosted cloud solution, including reduced latency, faster data access, and pricing in the local currency (naira), a distinction from AWS, which only accepts payments in naira but doesn’t price its services in it.
MTN Nigeria also claims the Dabengwa Sifiso Data Center is currently the largest-of-its-kind in West Africa. However, competition is intensifying, with WIOCC Group’s subsidiary, Open Access Data Centers (OADC), revealing plans earlier this year to scale its own Lagos facility from 1.5 MW to 24 MW by 2027.
