E-Business
Data Centre Infrastructure is Strategic to Developing Economy – Coker
Ayotunde Coker is the managing director of Rack Centre a data centre operator. He spoke to Chike Onwuegbuchi on the importance of data centre infrastructure to a developing economy such as Nigeria.
How Strategic is Data Centre Infrastructure to Developing Economy like Nigeria?
It is a very strategic core-infrastructure for the economy. Why? The world is now a data economy and we live in a global ecosystem.
However, if there is lack of quality infrastructure to provide the hosting of data, it underpins everything that is done. So, if that infrastructure is available locally, sovereign data requirement can be met at the right quality.
For us to do what we do, we have to make sure we match the quality provided abroad. In fact, we exceed most of the qualities obtained outside the country and our achievements last year, both as a company and individuals, attest to that.
Secondly, the data centre is a hosting environment that supports the whole range of networks.
We know broadband penetration is key for economic development, but if there is no reliable data centre, locally, where will the broadband be hosted? Again, if there is no interconnectivity, there will be no internet access, which will have negative impact on the economy. Of course, internet access has positive impact on the economy.
Therefore, you start to get IT services at the endpoint of use, which drives growth in the economy. That is the rationale I used to say having very credible data centre infrastructure in the country in the right levels of quality is very strategic indeed.
That brings us to the question around certifications. If we agree a data centre is a critical, underpinning infrastructure for our data enabled economy, then, it is absolutely right that we have the highest quality. And a good sign of the quality is that the certified design is built.
Then, surely, we are interested in getting Nigeria noticed in the global comity of data centre facilities. Although, we have Nigerian sovereign data rules, which by any global standard, is in Nigeria’s prerogative to have, however, there is still the need to maintain the global standards which enables us to co-exist and connect to that global ecosystem.
There are still queries about whether the country has the capacity to meet up with the data centre needs locally
If you look at when we started; five and half years now – October 2013, we have been operating 100% uptime. We have also embarked on that journey to educate businesses executives that they not need to build a datacentre but to outsource their data centre requirements instead. Why? It takes time to build that trust- Rack Centre had maintained a 100% uptime, is highly secured, well respected have sterling track records with its customers.
Our customer ratings are consistently high- we are passionate about them and try everything to make sure they are satisfied. We never compromise customers satisfaction. It has been tough but rewarding journey to change the mind-set about trusting locally built infrastructure of this kind. We are proud of the profile we have created for Nigeria in the global data centre space. We still have some work to do- reason being that a lot of our customers collocate with us and they say, “ah, Mr. Coker when are you guys going to build another location,” I replied, “we are working that so we can even bring more footprints closer to you”.
Also, it takes a very brave Chief Technical Officer, CTO, or Chief Information Officer, CIO to walk up to the Board with the preposition of spending millions of Dollars on a data centre. The Board would say, “have you been to Rack Centre” if the CIO or CTO said, “well, I didn’t consider Rack Centre before making the proposal” the Board would say, “please, go consider Rack Centre”. Four years ago, we would be trying to convince customers to come try our facilities.
Today that has changed. We now receive referrals who are interested in colocation. Others who decided to build have sunk millions of dollars, capital that they could have used to improve on their business on the front-end. On quality, how many of those have you seen as properly certified? They have to sleep, wake up at night; think about 24-hours power supply, how to purchase diesel. They have to be worried about the quality of the facility for it to stay up. Speak to any of our customers, they sleep well at night.
Also, with Rack Centre, we deliver a fantastic ecosystem. Overtime, we have noticed that the customers that host with us tend to be very advanced and successful. Perhaps, there is something in the DNA that assisted them to come and host with us. The profile of customers we have here attests to it. Even those that are not successful yet are on the road to becoming successful businesses. So, they see the value in quality service we offer as against issues around cost or “I have to go build by own datacentre”.
Still on capacity, data is exploding and there are two sides to it: One, you can go host your data abroad; however, latency is now a problem. If you look at the connectivity – we have globally respected infrastructure here. It means you don’t need to go abroad to host your data and suffer the latency impact.
How Scalable is Rack Centre?
We are scalable. We doubled our capacity in 2016. We are actually doubling our capacity again. In terms of power supply, we have 1.5megawatts and with the landmass we can build 8-10megawatts. We are also looking at another location in Lagos because our customers are asking for it. We also offer colocation; you don’t have to go abroad for that too.
About three years ago, we launched Cloud-on-Ground service and we have been building that ecosystem, because we realised that part of the reasons people may want to host abroad is due to thirst for cloud-based services. So, by having that reputation, even international companies that have cloud services can partner with us.
So, any company that tells you, “oh, I can’t host my data in Nigeria because services are not available,” can now confidently do that. In the time and journey, we have been, we able to provide support and requirements for colocation for local data hosting and content. The other issue is that as the local content policies are been enforced, we can assure that the capacity to meet the demand is here in Nigeria.
Service for the SMEs
Yes, that is something that has been missing in the past. SMEs are the heart of the economy. They need access to affordable hosting. That is why we are making footprints in smaller clouds; I mean, this is a key national infrastructure and the SMEs should enjoy local hosting. It will allow us to transform access to IT services offered by SMEs. For instance, if a FinTech company hosts with us, it implies they have locally hosted services to offer the banked or unbanked among us. As their customer-base grows they take more footprints with us.
Now, there are other SMEs that I call the professionals- lawyers, doctors, accountants, consulting firms – start-ups, they need to have efficient IT, because they also need big data. The more we can deliver that to them in an efficient manner, here, the more efficient they become and such services will have significant impact on the GDP of the country.
Issues Around Certification of Data Centres
The best known one is the Uptime Institute (UI) which is a global authority in datacentre quality assessment, training, and setting of best practices guides. They are based in the UK, but a part of US company. That’s the Institute we used for our certification. There is also the TIA in the US.
These bodies offer certifications on different tiers-I-IV The most popular and commercially viable is the Tier III. Some companies would want a datacentre to be constructed and certified to Tier IV; which is mainly for special purposes. But the Tier III is what most commercial datacentres go for.
Rack Centre positioning as Datacentre Leader in the Sub-Saharan Africa
We are doing a lot. It is an interesting market. I would like to put this in perspective: are we competing with datacentres in South Africa or do we offer better services than they do? I am confident that we are as good as and better than many in South Africa. Scale-wise, yes, they have been active for longer years, but I really do believe we will catch-up and even exceed them. We are the biggest economy in Africa. Lagos State itself is the fifth largest economy by GDP in Africa. And there are other exciting statistics about the Continent that give us that confidence.
However, the reason I wouldn’t say we are competing with South Africa is this: there is a scale in South Africa, but Rack Centre as Tier III is the most connected datacentre now, certainly, in Sub-Saharan Africa.
We believe in Africa. Why? The five undersea cables are directly connected to Rack Centre with about 32 Carriers connected to us. You can reach anywhere in Nigeria; with the four telecom companies we have in Rack Centre, we have most telecom masts in Nigeria connected here.
So, the opportunity for us to deliver the Edge Datacentre Services (EDS) is huge. Every country on the Atlantic coast of Africa is directly connected to us. The two, of those undersea cables, especially the WACC connect from here to South Africa. So, we connect to South Africa seamlessly.
It is a fantastic opportunity to cooperate with South Africa because we connect with datacentres there at low latency. We can deliver services in partnership with some operators there.
Presently, South Africa accounts for 50% of the datacentre (scale) capacity in Africa according to a study by XALAM Analytics, but the potential for Nigeria is huge and significant-if you look at the certifications we have had, the way we are regarded by our customers and the global industry, we are regarded as the premium.
With regards to global recognitions, 2018 was remarkable for us both in Nigeria and internationally as a Leading Datacentre; we were finalists in Datacentre Solutions in the UK (two categories).
In Monaco, last June, we were finalists in two categories too: Best Datacentre in Geophysical location; we won the geophysical location (representing Nigeria). This is against global competitors. In September we were at the Global Carrier Awards in London. We were finalists – Best Datacentre and we won the Best Datacentre innovation, these were global accolades.
Then, I was also given a Trail Blazer Award by the Uptime Institute in July 2018. It is an award given to a person, in a region annually. Just last month, I got another recognition, the Data Economy magazine top 200 personalities in the world, but I feel much proud about our Chief Engineer, Sunday Opadijo who won the Data Centre Dynamics, Datacentre Manager of the Year, against the world’s best.
I am very proud of that, because this is a young man who went to the University here in Nigeria; he has worked here and he is fantastic. He has been key part of our team. We entered him for the entries and he came top three and went in for the final and adjudged the best by a global jury in the UK.
So, when we talk about Rack Centre being a Premium Datacentre in Africa, it is very validated. The examples of our global ecosystem show that recognition, and our customers attest to it. You know why-one being that those awards are results of validations of our customers, not only indigenous, but also international ones.
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in partnership with the Advocacy for Policy and Innovation (API), has convened a one-day workshop in Abuja to advance dialogue on the draft Online Harm Protection (OHP) Bill to confront harmful online content.
The bill, a rights-based, locally rooted, and multi-stakeholder initiative, is aimed at addressing the challenges of the digital age.
The event, which held yesterday, brought together government officials, civil society, academics, digital platforms, and legal experts to shape a policy framework designed to combat online ills such as cyberbullying, disinformation, hate speech, digital exploitation, and gender-based violence, while safeguarding democratic freedoms and digital inclusion.
In his keynote remarks, Kashifu Inuwa, director general, NITDA urged a paradigm shift in the way society engages with digital technologies.
“For almost two decades, we have viewed digital technology through a consumer lens. But these technologies are not just products and services. They are transforming how we live, work, and interact. They shape our politics, our society, and our democracy,” he said.
Warning against unaccountable digital power in the hands of private corporations, the DG likened the digital journey to the tale of Alice in Wonderland, where initial fascination with innovation has given way to deeper concerns about privacy, autonomy, and manipulation by big tech platforms.
“We thought we were using Google, but now we realise Google is using us. Social media, once a tool of expression, has become a tool of surveillance and influence,” Inuwa noted.
He, therefore, emphasised the urgency of developing a democratic and accountable framework. He explained that following the 2021 Twitter ban, NITDA facilitated dialogue between the government and platform operators, leading to a Code of Practice that stressed Nigeria’s sovereignty and legal standards.
According to him, the same process birthed the multi-stakeholder steering committee and the OHP White Paper in December 2024, laying the foundation for the current legislative push.
Earlier in her opening remarks, Victoria Manya, co-founder, API, observed the moral and civic necessity of the bill.
Her words: “The internet did not break society, it merely revealed its unfiltered version. Every day, Nigerians are exposed to harassment, disinformation, exploitation, and even algorithmic violence. The OHP Bill is not a war on the Internet. It is a peace offering to its users, a social contract for a digital future that is safe, inclusive, and democratic.
“We cannot answer the question of algorithmic power with unchecked state control. We must answer it with shared, rights-based governance. This bill must not be written for the people, but with them.”
These days, people rely heavily on their mobile phones for talking, texting, banking, social media, and storing important personal information. Because of this, scammers and spammers often target phone users.
Mobile fraud, like fake SMS messages and scams, is becoming more common and putting millions at risk of losing money or having their private details stolen.
Airtel’s new AI-powered Spam Alert Service offers a smart and timely way to fight back, marking a major step forward in protecting mobile users in Africa.
A brief look at mobile fraud and spam
Mobile fraud and spam are problems around the world, but they hit harder in places where mobile phone use is growing fast, and safety measures haven’t caught up.
A 2024 report from GSMA Mobile Economy shows that more than 20% of mobile users globally have experienced some kind of mobile fraud, with spam texts being one of the most common.
In Nigeria, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has noted a sharp rise in scam messages and fake calls, leading to yearly losses in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
These spam texts often include fake links, harmful ads, or tricks to steal personal details. Many people get caught without knowing, which can lead to stolen bank money, identity theft, or damaged devices.
Older spam blockers only work on certain phones or apps, leaving many people, especially those using basic phones, without protection.
Why Airtel’s AI Spam Alert Service stands out
Airtel, a top telecom company in Africa, has launched a new and free service called the AI Spam Alert Service. It’s the first of its kind in Africa and aims to protect mobile users from spam text messages as they come in.
What makes this service different is that it doesn’t read or check the actual message content. Instead, it uses advanced artificial intelligence to quickly study the sender’s behaviour using over 250 signs or patterns, all within a fraction of a second.
Some of those parameters, according to Airtel, includes:
- How frequently the sender changes SIM cards.
- The volume and frequency of messages sent by the message initiator to different recipients.
- The geographical spread of the recipient numbers, whether messages are targeted locally or dispersed nationwide.
- Whether the sender receives replies or only sends messages.
- A cross-reference of numbers previously reported for spam activity.
The AI completes this analysis in just 2 milliseconds, faster than the blink of an eye, allowing real-time alerts to subscribers as suspected spam messages arrive.
How Airtel’s Spam Alert Service improves mobile safety and trust
Airtel’s new AI-powered spam alert system is set to make a big difference in mobile security across Nigeria and the rest of Africa. Instead of depending on users to block spam themselves, the service works directly through the network to stop suspicious messages before they reach people’s phones.
This kind of technology helps users feel safer and more confident using mobile networks—especially as more people rely on their phones for banking and other money-related services.
A 2025 report by McKinsey Digital shows that many Africans worry about mobile security when using digital financial tools. By reducing the risk of spam and fraud, Airtel is not only protecting its users but also helping to build a safer digital space where more people can take part in the growing mobile economy.
According to Airtel, within two months of its launch, the spam alert service system has identified 9,667,008 messages as potential spam.
Why this is a game changer
By building a service that is first-of-its-kind in Africa, Airtel is leading the way in offering spam alerts, powered by AI directly on its network, for over 150 million subscribers across the continent.
In addition, the service is quick, spotting suspicious sender activity in just milliseconds without reading users’ messages.
Finally, the service is free and requires no app downloads or extra setup. Airtel says the turns on automatically, making it easy for everyone to stay protected, even those using basic phones.
By sending signals to users before problems happen, Airtel boosts trust and encourages more people to safely use mobile money and other digital services.
Scammers are always finding new ways to trick consumers through the ubiquitous mobile phones, so increased demand for security improvements is, understandably, shifting to telecom companies.
Airtel’s AI Spam Alert Service is a strong and timely move toward better, smarter protection for users. As more people start using the service, it should help cut down fraud, keep personal information safe, and make mobile use more enjoyable.
As African economies continue to grow more digital, users of telecom services will need more secure and reliable ways to communicate, and Airtel is leading the way towards that safe future.
A widespread cyberattack targeting Microsoft’s (MSFT.O) server software used by thousands of government agencies and businesses for internal document sharing was likely orchestrated by a single actor, a cybersecurity researcher said on Monday.
Microsoft issued an alert on Saturday warning of “active attacks” on on-premise SharePoint servers.
The company clarified that SharePoint Online, part of the Microsoft 365 cloud suite, was not affected by the exploit, which is considered a “zero-day” vulnerability due to its previously undiscovered nature.
“Based on the consistency of the tradecraft seen across observed attacks, the campaign launched on Friday appears to be a single actor. However, it’s possible that this will quickly change,” Rafe Pilling, director of Threat Intelligence at Sophos, a British cybersecurity firm.
That tradecraft included the sending of the same digital payload to multiple targets, Pilling added.
Microsoft said it had “provided security updates and encourages customers to install them,” a company spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
It was not clear who was behind the ongoing hack. The FBI said on Sunday it was aware of the attacks and was working closely with its federal and private-sector partners, but offered no other details.
Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Washington Post said unidentified actors in the past few days had exploited a flaw to launch an attack that targeted U.S. and international agencies and businesses.
According to data from Shodan, a search engine that helps to identify internet-linked equipment, over 8,000 servers online could theoretically have already been compromised by hackers.
Those servers include major industrial firms, banks, auditors, healthcare companies, and several U.S. state-level and international government entities.
“The SharePoint incident appears to have created a broad level of compromise across a range of servers globally,” said Daniel Card of British cybersecurity consultancy, PwnDefend.
“Taking an assumed breach approach is wise, and it’s also important to understand that just applying the patch isn’t all that is required here.”
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