Nigeria’s digital economy is receiving a boost with the addition of RackCentre’s new 12 MegaWatt Artificial Intelligence-oriented data centre.
RackCentre’s new facility is expected to bolster local cloud adoption, enhance data sovereignty, and attract global technology players seeking scalable infrastructure in West Africa’s largest market.
With rising demand for AI, high-performance computing, and low-latency digital services, RackCentre’s investment signals growing confidence in Nigeria’s digital future, even as the sector grapples with power and infrastructure challenges.
According to Lars Johanisson, chief executive officer of RackCentre, the company has maintained 100 percent uptime since its inception in 2013, positioning it as the best-connected data centre in West Africa.
“When we talk about data and data centres, uptime and asset integrity are everything,” he stated. “We are leading the ecosystem in Nigeria, and we have not lost that connectivity, that uptime, since 2013. That is very unprecedented.”
The new Lagos 2 (LGS 2) facility significantly expands RackCentre’s capabilities. “We had 1.5 megawatts installed in our first facility. We are going to have 12 megawatts on top of that,” Johanisson explained.
“With this, we are establishing ourselves as a hyperscaler AI-ready data centre in Nigeria. Essentially, we are doubling the existing capacity of a data centre in the country.”
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Johanisson also highlighted Nigeria’s growing broadband penetration, currently at 48 percent and rising. “Cloudification and digitalisation are not just buzzwords; they are a reality. The user behaviour in Nigeria is no different from anywhere else globally. AI adoption is happening faster today than the adoption of PCs and the internet,” he said.
“That means our infrastructure must be ready to support the evolving needs of businesses and individuals.”
Ezekiel Egboye, Chief Operating Officer of RackCentre, reinforced the importance of AI readiness in the data centre’s design. “AI is not just a buzzword anymore. With AI, you require 10 to 20 times faster processing power than standard searches. This requires robust infrastructure, and power is key,” Egboye stated. “We have built our facility to provide the power, speed, and resilience needed for AI and hyperscale content players.”
RackCentre’s new facility features advanced infrastructure to meet the growing demands of Nigeria’s digital economy. It boasts an IT power capacity of 12 MW, supported by a utility power supply of 25 MVA, ensuring resilience and scalability. The centre spans 3,240 square meters of white space, housing six data halls, each with a 2 MW IT load and a rack density of less than 24 kW. Four dedicated Meet-Me-Rooms enhance connectivity within the facility, ensuring seamless data exchange.
Sustainability is also at the heart of the design, earning the facility the IFC EDGE certification, an international standard recognising excellence in energy efficiency. This distinction makes it the first green-certified data centre across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Folu Aderibigbe, chief sales and marketing officer, emphasised the significance of this investment. “This is a very pivotal, major investment that helps to drive economic growth, development, and innovation in the country. It positions Nigeria as a major digital hub alongside South Africa on the continent,” he stated.
“With this infrastructure, we are helping businesses reduce operational costs, improve transaction times, and enhance reliability,” he further stated.
He also highlighted data sovereignty as a key advantage. “It helps keep data within Nigeria, reducing capital flight. Previously, businesses had to spend foreign currency to access cloud applications, but now, they can do so locally,” Aderibigbe said.
Johannisson also pointed to the importance of connectivity infrastructure. “The fibre structure is relevant not only for Lagos but across all 36 states. The critical national infrastructure law that came into place last year is a good step in protecting this infrastructure,” he stated.
“We need the right policies to drive cloud adoption and affordability for businesses. The demand for data centres is growing, and Nigeria is moving in the right direction.”
Data centres are not just critical to digital infrastructure, they also present significant investment opportunities with far-reaching economic benefits.
Research indicates that for every $10 million invested in data centres, the broader economic impact could be 50 to 100 times that amount. This multiplier effect stems from high-value professional services required for design and construction, procurement of specialised mechanical and electrical equipment, and long-term operational expenditures.
Once operational, data centres drive further investments in power infrastructure, workforce development across multiple skill levels, and business support services.