Huawei Plans Data Centre in Nigeria to Boost Local Cloud Capabilities

Huawei Technologies, a Chinese information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure provider, has unveiled plans to launch a significant new data centre in Nigeria, a move that is expected to bolster the country’s cloud infrastructure and support its growing digital economy.

Server racks in server room data center

This announcement was made by David Olaiya, head of Cloud Fintech Business Development for Huawei Nigeria, during Nigeria Fintech Week, in Lagos.

The new data centre is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s position as a hub for tech innovation in West Africa.

Scheduled to become fully operational by October 31, 2024, the facility, called ‘Cloud Site’ is designed to provide comprehensive data storage and computing services.

By keeping data within Nigeria’s borders, this initiative aims to align with the country’s data protection policies, which mandate that all user data be stored locally.

This is especially critical for sectors like finance and telecommunications, where data security is paramount.

Many Nigerian businesses, particularly those that have relied on international cloud services, often face compliance challenges when it comes to storing and processing sensitive user data.

These companies have had to send their data across borders, raising concerns about data security and regulatory adherence.

The launch of Huawei’s data centre aims to directly address these issues by allowing businesses to manage their data domestically, ensuring compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).

“This centre ensures data sovereignty, offering Nigerian businesses a competitive advantage by keeping sensitive information within the country,” Olaiya stated.

The launch of the data centre comes amid the growing influence of Huawei’s cloud services among Nigerian banks. Reports have emerged that major Nigerian banks including UBA Zenith Bank, Opay, First Bank and others are opting for Huawei’s cloud storage solutions, positioning it as a strong competitor to IBM, which has been a longtime leader in banking technology in Nigeria. The shift by these banks reflects the rising trust in Huawei’s cloud capabilities and its growing influence within the financial sector.

Olaiya also emphasized that the new centre will offer more than just local data storage. It is expected to significantly reduce latency, providing faster access to cloud services, which is crucial for real-time operations such as digital payments and mobile banking.

In addition to data compliance, he noted that the centre will be backed by local technical expertise, which will be key in providing timely support to Nigerian enterprises. Huawei plans to have a dedicated team on the ground, alongside its global 24/7 support infrastructure. This combination of local and global resources promises to deliver seamless service, enabling companies to troubleshoot issues more efficiently and reduce the risks associated with downtime or technical failures.

While this is a milestone for Huawei, Nigeria already hosts data centres from global tech giants such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure.

However, Huawei’s entry into the local cloud landscape is poised to bring additional benefits.

The ‘Cloud Site’ will be part of Huawei’s extensive global network, which spans 93 availability zones in 33 regions around the world, including existing data centres in South Africa and Egypt.

The Nigerian data centre will be linked to Huawei’s other key locations, including facilities in Johannesburg, South Africa, and Dublin, Ireland.

This global integration is expected to not only serve as a critical resource for established businesses in Nigeria, but also to support Africa’s digital transformation in broader terms, creating new opportunities for startups, especially in sectors like fintech, e-commerce, and artificial intelligence (AI), where local data processing can drive innovation.

In a related initiative, Huawei Cloud announced in April 2024 its plan to support 100 Nigerian startups over the next two years.

This commitment includes providing these startups with cloud resources and technical assistance to help them scale their operations and bring new products to market.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has also demonstrated its commitment to data infrastructure, with plans to inaugurate a national data centre by May 2024.

This facility, which will have a storage capacity of 1.4 petabytes, is intended to securely store critical national data, including biometric information of Nigerian citizens.

Overall, Huawei’s entry into Nigeria’s data centre market is set to complement these efforts, further establishing the country as a regional leader in cloud computing and data services.