Intelligent Data Centres Issue 28 | Page 46

FEATURE
Michele McCann , Head of Interconnection and Peering at Teraco
digitisation and to pave the way for our hyperscale customers to deploy digitisation solutions to West Africa , Africa Data Centres ’ construction of a 10 MW data centre in Lagos is well underway .
The Lagos build marks a significant step forward in Africa Data Centres ’ ambitious long-term strategy to digitise Africa . The Nigerian data centre will form Africa Data Centres ’ West African hub . As interconnection remains a priority , the company will be adding it to its network
of data centres , which at present includes Johannesburg , Nairobi , Cape Town , Harare and Kigali .
“ Our expansion into Nigeria marks one aspect of the company ’ s growth on the continent ,” said Duproz . “ In response to demand generated by hyperscalers , key cloud operators and multinational enterprises already making use of our data centres , we have purchased the Samrand facility in South Africa and our key build in Midrand is underway . These same clients , who have trusted us with their expansions into Kenya and other African territories , have expressed their interest in bringing digitisation at scale to West Africa . Our leadership and best practice in data centre operations have made us the obvious choice in their expansion strategies .”
The creation of a digital hub is the beginning of Digital Transformation capabilities for the region . Naturally , says Duproz , multinational enterprises will wish to be housed under the same roof as our hyperscaler customers due to the lower latency enjoyed . As such , the combination of cloud providers and enterprises make these data centres marketplaces of the ecosystem – and , most importantly , he says , the base for the country ’ s digital and economic development . Additionally , keeping African data on African soil is another key consideration driving the demand for local data centre facilities . “ We are proud to be ensuring that African data stays in Africa ,” said Duproz .
Africa Data Centres has indicated that the Lagos build will spur the economy – creating job opportunities in various sectors . “ The stimulus effect to the economy of digitisation is well documented and Nigeria is ready for this technology boon ,” said Duproz .
“ Furthermore , our construction policy is to uplift the community as far as possible , employing local contractors and creating work opportunities within the communities we enter – so the job creation opportunities are realised at both grass-roots and high-tech levels .”
Having secured premium land in Lagos , Africa Data Centres has designed its latest data centre facility in line with environmental best practice , using grey , or non-potable water for cooling and utilising solar energy to offset its reliance on the grid .
“ Digitising the continent at the cost of the environment is not a sacrifice Africa Data Centres is prepared to entertain . Our strategy encompasses empowering and uplifting the people , the environment and the economy ,” said Duproz . ◊
Stephane Duproz , CEO of Africa Data Centres
46 www . intelligentdatacentres . com