Operator MTN Nigeria is widely reported in the African press to be building a 1,500-rack Tier IV data centre in Lagos, which would make it West Africa’s largest data centre.
As ever, the need for expanded data processing capabilities has been put down to significant growth in data usage and the emergence of new services.
Quoted in the Nairametrics news service, the CTO of MTN Nigeria, Mohammed Rufai, apparently said: “Businesses that require data centre capacity can now forgo maintaining their server rooms. Our facility will provide the space and services needed, enabling companies to digitalise their operations and improve efficiency,”
He added that the facility will enhance the delivery of content from the likes of Meta and Google, bringing content closer to Nigerian users and improving access speeds.
He also suggested it would enable businesses, particularly MSMEs, to leverage cloud services and other digital solutions, and that MTN is ready to partner with startups and MSMEs.
The data centre will be carrier-neutral for connection to several ISPs and cloud service providers. Other specifications, not to mention completion dates, construction partners and equipment providers, have not yet been shared.
But, of course, the environment was not overlooked in the announcement. Rufai said the data centre signals MTN’s commitment to environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals. The plan is that it will eventually utilise efficient cooling systems and a combination of traditional energy sources, gas and renewable energy, that will significantly reduce its carbon footprint.
The Data Centre Dynamics website says MTN Nigeria already has one data centre in Lagos. It adds that Africa Data Centres, INQ Digital, Medallion Communication, IS Nigeria and MainOne also operate data centres in Lagos, while Airtel and its Nxtra subsidiary began construction on a data centre in the city earlier this year.
