Nigeria’s technology industry is no longer as sparse as it used to be some 10 years ago, as the country has now become an incubator for some of the biggest startups on the African continent.
Over the years, the country’s tech space has witnessed some massive transformation and is continually unearthing countless brilliant minds who are innovators and entrepreneurs shaping the country’s technology ecosystem.
The West African nation’s technological successes are becoming more observable thanks to the introduction and development of infrastructure that helps portray the country’s tech innovations to the global community.
Africa Data Centers, the continent’s largest network of interconnected, carrier and cloud-neutral data centre facilities, has also taken a stance towards Nigeria’s technological growth and has officially announced the opening of its Lagos data centre.
The company has launched its new 10MW data centre facility in Lagos, Nigeria, making it the company’s first giant step into the tech advancements of the most populous black nation.
According to the pan-African company, the new mega facility would allow hyperscale customers of the Africa Data Centres to install digitization solutions throughout Nigeria and the West African region.
In a chat with Technext.ng, Stephane Duproz, CEO of Africa Data Centers, acknowledges that Africa Data Center establishes data centres in the largest African data centre market, of which Nigeria is undoubtedly one of them.
“We, as the number one Pan-African Data Centre operator, just have to be in Nigeria, and we are extremely convinced that the Nigerian digital market will develop enormously and we will be the home for that.”
Stephane Duproz
He also describes Nigeria as one of the company’s major markets and thus there’s a rapidly-growing need to install a data centre in the region.
He added that the new facility in Lagos marks a significant step forward in Africa Data Centres’ ambitious long-term plans to close the digital divide in Africa and digitise the continent.
The African Data Centres CEO also noted that businesses of all types and sizes in the country are eager for digitalization and that by bringing these services to businesses and citizens alike, it will help them accelerate their digital transformation journeys.
Nigeria to become ADC’s West African Headquarter
Mr Stephane also disclosed that the company is making plans to develop other data centres in West African countries such as Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Senegal, but the intention is to make Nigeria the West African regional headquarters.
The new data centre in the country is expected to have a significant impact on Nigeria’s digital space and contribute immensely to the economy of the country, as digital life can only exist with the right infrastructure.
According to the pan-African company, it also plans to assist young tech companies in the country by providing them with the infrastructure that makes it easier to scale their innovative processes.
“And again, we are Africans to start with. We work nowhere else and so we love our continent. We have plans to assist young tech companies in digitalizing Africa so that Africa can express its innovation and creativity. So, obviously, our company is critical to that. We do that here,” he said.
An extension of Cassava Technologies
Africa Data Centres is part of the newly formed Cassava Technologies company, and it plays a crucial role in providing the digital infrastructure required to support the region’s growing adoption of digital services by consumers and enterprises.
The company currently has its data centres in Lagos, Nigeria; Lomé, Togo; Samrand and Midrand, South Africa; and Nairobi, Kenya.
The company says it comprises a team of experienced experts from around the globe and is a leading communications solutions provider across 13 countries, primarily in Eastern, Southern and South Africa.
The company serves mobile operators, carriers, enterprise, media, and content companies, as well as retail customers, with high-speed, reliable connectivity, hosting, colocation, and digital services.
According to the company, it has also built Africa’s largest independent fibre network, stretching more than 73,000km.
The Pan-African Mission
The Africa Data Center says it’s on a mission to create data centres in Africa to first keep African data in Africa and progressively bring back African data that is stored overseas. It also ensures that Africa is not left behind in the digitalization journey.
According to the company, the Lagos data centre is an infrastructure that will help Nigerian creativity to express itself and compete globally with the rest of the world.
The company noted that its entrance into the Nigerian digital market is never too late, contrary to some opinions that indicate it’s a bit late.
“It’s never too late when what you bring is different,” Mr Stephane noted.
“There are digital centers in Nigeria already, but we have something no one else has. We are pan-African, so our data center in Lagos is going to be connected to all our other data centers in the continent. So any customer in one data center is going to be able to connect to any of our data centers on the continent,”
Technext Newsletter
Get the best of Africa’s daily tech to your inbox – first thing every morning.
Join the community now!
