Nxtra by Airtel is set to be one of the largest networks of data centres in Africa , with high-capacity data centres in major cities located strategically across Airtel Africa ’ s footprint , complementing its existing Edge sites .

This development underscores the company ’ s commitment to meeting the continent ’ s data management needs by providing trusted and sustainable data centre capacity to serve the fastgrowing African digital economy .

Speaking during the event , Segun Ogunsanya , Group Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Africa , said the Nxtra project marks a significant milestone in the company ’ s journey and is a cornerstone of the organisation ’ 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 ,” Ogunsanya said .

“ This mega project will provide over 1,000 jobs , and more significantly , once deployed and at capacity , it will create over

250 permanent jobs for Nigerians whilst supporting companies in the manufacturing , financial services , healthcare as they move their data and computing into third party data centres like ours . Ultimately , we have to store data and content closer to where it is being consumed ,” added Ogunsanya .

The Nxtra by Airtel data centre in Lagos will deliver 38MW of total power and host high density racks that integrate the latest best practice construction to achieve 1.3 Power Usage Effectiveness ( PUE ). It is expected to be live by the first quarter of 2026 .

The Lagos data centre facility will be the first of five hyperscale data centres to be developed by Airtel Africa on the continent . Combined , these data centres will offer a robust 180MW capacity , distributed across 13 major data centre and over 48 Edge data centres . Coupled with Airtel Africa ’ s extensive fibre footprint , Nxtra offers secure and scalable integrated solutions to global hyperscalers , large African enterprises , start-ups , SMEs and governments .

Through locally available data centre capacity , speed to access digital services will improve and the cost of managing data will be reduced , thus helping power increased innovation , while supporting a new generation of African tech talent .

Furthermore , Nxtra is enabling customers meet data sovereignty requirements while at the same time enabling more local cloud services to be offered in the countries where Airtel Africa operates . �

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