MTN Nigeria recently announced the construction of its largest West African data centre, a facility with a 1,500-rack and Tier 4 data centre.
According to industry reports, the Tier 4 data centre is built to be completely fault-tolerant, with redundancy for every component and an expected uptime of 99.995 per cent.
This means it can withstand a wide range of potential disruptions and offers the most reliable infrastructure.
MTN’s Chief Technical Officer, Mr Mohammed Rufai, said that the 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 across the country.
He said that the new data centre would support MTN’s infrastructure and serve as a vital resource for businesses across Nigeria.
“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.
According to him, this local content hosting will significantly boost user experience and network efficiency.
Rufai highlighted the critical need for expanded data processing capabilities, which are 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.
He says the project is a technological investment and 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 stressed that this would, in turn, drive innovation, efficiency, and competitiveness across various economic sectors.
He emphasised MTN’s readiness to partner with startups and MSMEs, offering numerous opportunities for collaboration, particularly in cloud services.
According to him, the data centre, aligned with MTN’s Ambition 2025 strategy, signals the company’s commitment to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals.
He said the facility would eventually use efficient cooling systems and a combination of traditional, gas, and renewable energy sources.
Rufai stressed the importance of these energy measures, saying it would significantly reduce its carbon footprint.
According to him, up to 60 per cent of a typical data centre’s power consumption in our climate is for cooling. MTN’s highly efficient systems will ensure it meets the sustainability targets.