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The Nigerian government plans to open a state-of-the-art data centre capable of storing up to 1.4 petabytes of data before May 29, 2024, marking President Bola Tinubu’s first year in office.
Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of the Interior, announced this during a meeting with a delegation from the National Union of Nigerian Associations in Italy (NUNAI), led by its President, Chief Rowland Ndukuba.
The new data centre will store critical national information, including citizens' biometric data.
Minister Tunji-Ojo stressed the importance of leveraging technology and innovation to tackle modern challenges, highlighting how cutting-edge technological solutions can enhance efficiency and accountability across national operations.
Chief Ndukuba praised the Ministry’s initiatives to address the issues faced by Nigerians in Italy and encouraged continued collaborative efforts to assist stranded Nigerians in the country.
As of 2023, Nigeria boasted over 11 data centres, primarily located in Lagos, Abuja, and Kano. Notable centres include Open Access Data Centre (OADC), Rack Centre, MDXi, Medallion (Digital Reality), 21st Century, ADC, MTN, CEWA, Galaxy Backbone, and mobile centres.
The sector has attracted over $230 million in investment, with projections suggesting growth to $415 million by 2028.
In 2022, Airtel Africa inaugurated a commercial Tier 3 data centre in Lagos to support the storage needs of businesses and government entities. The following year, Airtel launched Nxtra, a new data centre business.
Meanwhile, the Republic of the Congo has commenced construction of a $72.8 million national data centre to manage the country's digital data.
The Nigerian Ministry of Interior’s announcement did not detail the funding sources or the total cost required to complete the project within the tight deadline of less than eight days. However, the successful completion of this project could significantly boost Nigeria’s standing in the African data centre sector, currently led by South Africa. Teraco, a South African data centre operator, reportedly surpasses Nigeria's 11 centres in operational capacity and raised $680 million in 2023 to expand its solar capacity and data centres.
Minister Tunji-Ojo's commitment to embracing technology reflects a broader strategy to position Nigeria as a competitive player in the growing digital economy.
