MTN to construct West Africa’s largest data centre
MTN announced the construction of its West African largest data centre on Saturday, a facility with a 1,500-rack and Tier 4 data centre within the country.
MTN disclosed that a Tier 4 data centre to be built, will be completely fault-tolerant, has redundancy for every component and an expected uptime of 99.995 per cent. It can withstand a wide range of potential disruptions and offers the most reliable infrastructure.
Mr Mohammed Rufai, the Chief Technical Officer of MTN, in Lagos, noted that construction of the data centre was a move to enhance Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.
Rufai said that the data centre was set to play a pivotal role in meeting the growing data demands and digital needs of businesses and consumers nationwide.
“Businesses that require data centre capacity can now forgo maintaining their server rooms.
‘’Our facility will provide the space and services needed, enabling companies to digitalise their operations and improve efficiency.
‘’The data centre will also enhance the delivery of content from major tech companies like Meta and Google, bringing content closer to Nigerian users and improving access speeds,’’ he said.
Rufai cited the critical need for expanded data processing capabilities, driven by significant growth in data usage and the emergence of new services.
“We see a high demand in the market, with data usage growing significantly.
“And to cater to demand and prepare for future growth, MTN is expanding and modernising its data centre capacity,” the MTN official said.
The project according to him, isn’t just a technological investment but also a catalyst for economic growth.
Rufai said that providing scalable and adaptable infrastructure would enable businesses, particularly Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), to leverage cloud services and other digital solutions.
He emphasised MTN’s readiness to partner with startups and MSMEs, offering numerous opportunities for collaboration, particularly in cloud services.
According to him, up to 60 per cent of the power consumption of a typical data centre in our clime is for cooling, MTN’s highly efficient systems will ensure it meets the sustainability targets.
The MTN official added that as Nigeria’s digital landscape advanced, the new data centre marked a significant milestone.
He also disclosed MTN’s Ambition 2025 strategy, saying the data centre signals the company’s commitment to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) goals.
NAN/ Chidimma Gold
