Telecom
West Africa’s Data Centre Market – Growth Requires Skills, and OEMs can Help
By Faith Waithaka,
With some of Africa’s biggest data centre providers now based in West Africa, it would be safe to say that the region is going that an era of tremendous and even unprecedented growth.
Faith Waithaka
Traditionally quite modest, with capacities ranging from one to three Megawatts (MW), West Africa now features numerous high-capacity datacentres; with plans underway to build its first Tier-4, 1500 rack data centre later this year.
But with size comes complexity. Building a Tier-4 data centre is not simply a matter of scaling up from a 1 MW facility; technical requirements and complexities increase exponentially.
Let’s use UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS) as an example, while commissioning a single unit is quite straightforward, paralleling multiple systems to achieve higher power outputs introduces significant complexity.
Here, you require an experienced design engineer that can plan for the integration of multiple systems from get-go, ensuring that components like bus bars and cables can handle the combined power load. Without this foresight, designs may fall short and necessitate costly and time-consuming revisions.
It’s double-edged sword, West Africa is going through a wonderful growth era but at the same time facing a lack of skilled individuals that can handle these big data centre projects. And unlike our peers in countries such as Sweden and Ireland, which have extensive experience with 40 MW or even 100 MW data centres, West Africa is still building its capacity.
Also, this skills gap spans from design and technical implementation to the ongoing maintenance of operations facilities, once up and running. There is therefore a critical need to develop a workforce capable of supporting both 1 MW facilities and large-scale 100 MW operations.
OEMs’ part to play
As global entities with extensive experience and expertise, OEMs can transfer knowledge and best practices to the West African data centre market. And it works, in East Africa, Schneider Electric is proactively leveraging its global expertise to upskill local teams in countries like Kenya to among others bring in specialists from Europe to work alongside local engineers.
This hands-on, on-the-job training leaves a lasting impact, building local capacity and importantly ensuring that the skills remain within the region.
However, OEMs can’t do it alone, and they shouldn’t. To accelerate the upskilling process, OEMs should form strategic partnerships with local companies, data centre operators, and educational institutions.
In turn, these partnerships can facilitate comprehensive training programmes, internships, and graduate placements, creating a pipeline of skilled professionals ready to meet the demands of the growing market.
There is also another element to consider; the positive impact Africa’s data centre growth will have on the rest of the world.
These facilities are becoming integral to the global digital infrastructure, supporting a wide range of services and applications.
It is therefore in all role players’ best interest to ensure that these data centres are built and operated to the highest standards. This investment will not only support local economies but also enhance the reliability and resilience of the global digital ecosystem.
Through strategic, local partnership, OEMs like Schneider Electric can contribute to an environment that fosters knowledge transfer and relevant, comprehensive training programmes.
Success is always reliant on the sum of its parts and OEMs have an important role to play in establishing West Africa as key player in the global data centre industry.
Faith Waithaka, works at Schneider Electric as Cloud and Service Provider Segment Sales Lead: Anglophone Africa.
Meta may shut down its Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria in protest against the substantial fines imposed by multiple government agencies.
The tech giant has been ordered to pay nearly $300 million in fines in Africa’s most populous nation, following regulatory demands which Meta described as “unrealistic.”
In July 2024, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), imposed a $220 million fine on Meta for allegedly discriminatory and exploitative practices against Nigerian consumers.
The commission stated that Meta had failed to engage a Data Protection Compliance Organisation and had not submitted a Nigeria Data Protection Regulation audit report for two consecutive years.
Similarly, the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), demanded $37.5 million over unapproved advertising, while the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC), announced a $32.8 million fine for an alleged data privacy breach.
Meta challenged the decisions at the Federal High Court in Abuja but was unsuccessful, as the court upheld the fines in a ruling delivered last week.
The court directed the company to comply with payment by the end of June, but Meta has indicated it may not do so, according to the BBC.
“The applicant may be forced to effectively shut down the Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria in order to mitigate the risk of enforcement measures,” the company stated in court documents.
Responding to the NDPC’s assertion that Meta’s data processing could expose Nigerian users to health and financial risks, the company said the agency had failed to “properly interpret the laws guiding data privacy.”
As the Premier League season enters its final stretch, MTN Nigeria is set to stage simultaneous watch parties in Abuja and Uyo on Sunday, May 4, giving football fans a shared space to experience the highs and lows of matchday.
The events, scheduled for Farm City in Wuse and Pyramid Lounge & Grill in Uyo, are expected to attract large turnouts as MTN continues to deepen its connection with football audiences nationwide.
The line-up for the day includes four Premier League fixtures, culminating in a marquee showdown between Chelsea and Liverpool. Earlier games such as Brentford vs Manchester United, Brighton vs Newcastle, and West Ham vs Tottenham will round out a packed viewing schedule. With top four ambitions, title races, and European dreams on the line, the fixtures promise high-stakes drama and entertainment.
MTN’s EPL watch parties have grown into a recurring highlight for fans who want more than just a screen, they want atmosphere. This weekend’s events will feature expansive screen setups, branded fan zones, and side attractions including live trivia and merchandise giveaways.
For MTN, the activations represent an opportunity to tap into the communal spirit of football, a sport that unites Nigerians across regions and loyalties. The brand’s involvement in football has steadily evolved from sponsorship to full-scale experiences, allowing it to build affinity with youth audiences and sports lovers alike.
In recent years, MTN has emerged as a key driver of fan engagement through its partnership with SuperSport and broader investment in Nigeria’s football ecosystem. These dual-city events reflect that strategy in motion, bringing the Premier League closer to the streets and ensuring fans are not just spectators, but participants in the global game.
With anticipation running high and bragging rights on the line, Sunday’s watch parties are shaping up to be a celebration of sport, identity, and the power of community on and off the pitch.
Telecommunications services disrupted in Kogi State have resumed following a resolution of the dispute between MTN Nigeria and the state government, the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has said.
Gbenga Adebayo, chairman of ALTON, told TVC News that the issues that led to the shutdown of telecom masts in the state, primarily affecting MTN, had been addressed, paving the way for service restoration.
TVC News earlier reported that businessmen and women were counting their losses as they suffered the impact of a shut down of telecommunication service in Kogi State
Over the past two weeks, telecoms connectivity had been erratic, with competing brands experiencing glitches, particularly in the Lokoja metropolis.
The State government suspended the operations of some telecom services citing unpaid taxes and fibre-related dues.
The shutdown stemmed from a compliance dispute between MTN and the Kogi State Utility Infrastructure Management and Compliance Agency, which accused the telecom giant of violating operational rules and under-declaring the extent of its optic fibre network coverage in the state.
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