In Short:
Nxtra by Airtel, Airtel Africa’s data center business, has started building its first data center in Lagos, Nigeria. The facility will have 38 MW of power, aiming for a PUE of 1.3 and expected to be live by early 2026. Airtel Africa plans to develop five hyperscale data centers, with a total capacity of 180 MW. The project will create 1,000 jobs during construction and 250 permanent positions upon completion, focusing on sustainability and community support.
Nxtra by Airtel, Airtel Africa’s data center business, has commenced the construction of its inaugural data center in Lagos, Nigeria. The groundbreaking ceremony took place in Eko Atlantic, on Lagos’s Victoria Island, and was attended by various dignitaries, industry leaders, as well as Airtel Africa’s CEO, Segun Ogunsanya, and incoming CEO, Sunil Taldar.
Key Facility Features
Airtel Nigeria shared this update on LinkedIn, mentioning that the Lagos data center will have a total power capacity of 38 MW and is anticipated to be operational by the first quarter of 2026. The company aims to achieve a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of 1.3.
The Lagos data center will be the first of five hyperscale data centers planned by Airtel Africa. Additionally, the Nairobi facility is expected to have 7 MW of IT capacity. Collectively, these five data centers will provide a total capacity of 180 MW, spread across 13 core data centers and over 48 Edge data centers.
According to a statement on LinkedIn, “The NXTRA Data Centre represents a significant milestone in Airtel Africa’s growth strategy, with a focus on Nigeria, our largest market. The establishment of the Nxtra Data Center will advance data sovereignty, security, and preservation within the continent, emphasizing our commitment to position Nigeria as a key hub for digital services access as we drive Africa towards a sustainable and inclusive digital era.”
Airtel Nigeria added, “During the construction phase, the project will generate over 1,000 job opportunities, and upon completion, it will create 250 permanent positions. The Nxtra initiative is designed to meet the highest standards of quality and security while prioritizing sustainability and community support.”
Nxtra by Airtel and Telesonic
As detailed by TelecomTalk, Airtel Africa launched its Nxtra by Airtel data center business in December 2023. Recently, Airtel Africa introduced Airtel Africa Telesonic Limited (Telesonic), a new fiber bandwidth service to address the growing demand for wholesale data across Africa.
Leveraging Airtel Africa’s expansive fiber network through Telesonic, Nxtra offers secure and scalable integrated solutions to global hyperscalers, large African enterprises, startups, SMEs, and governmental entities.
