Airtel unveils flagship data centre in Nigeria

from OKORO CHINEDU in Lagos, Nigeria
Nigeria Bureau
LAGOS, (CAJ News) – AIRTEL Africa has launched what is set to be one of the largest data centres in Africa.

The telecommunications and mobile money services provider has officially broken ground on its first data centre in Lagos, Nigeria.

With the launch, Airtel has pledged to meet the continent’s data management needs by providing trusted and sustainable data centre capacity to serve the fast-growing African digital economy.

Segun Ogunsanya, Group Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Africa, said the Nxtra project marks a significant milestone in the company’s journey and is a cornerstone of the organization’s growth strategy, with a particular focus on Nigeria, its largest market.

“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,” he said.

The mega project is to provide over 1000 jobs.

Once deployed and at capacity, it will create over 250 permanent jobs for Nigerians while supporting companies in the manufacturing, financial services, health care as they move their data and computing into third party data centers like ours.

Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Governor of Lagos, said the NXtra was the dawn of a new era in data control, security, and preservation throughout Africa.

“Airtel’s commitment to the highest standards in data management, technological innovation, and extensive network infrastructure is truly commendable,” he said.

With a total capacity of 180 MW distributed across 13 major data centres and over 48 Edge data centres, NXtra pledges to redefine data storage and accessibility in Africa.

The Nxtra by Airtel data centre in Lagos will deliver 38 megawatts of total power and host high density racks that integrate the latest best practice construction to achieve 1,3 power usage effectiveness.

It is expected to be live by the first quarter of 2026.

Dr Bosun Tijani, Nigeria Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, commented on the project.

“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,” Tijani said.

– CAJ News