In 2023 Airtel Africa launched a new data centre business founded on a commitment to meet the continent’s growing needs for trusted and sustainable data centre capacity and to serve the fast-growing African digital economy.

Nxtra aims to build one of the largest network of data centres in Africa with high-capacity data centres in major cities located strategically across Airtel Africa’s footprint, complementing its existing edge sites. Nxtra’s ambition will allow us to serve the growing need of African enterprises. Furthermore, data centre infrastructure will be designed to host the next generation of computing, while providing multi-MW capacity in a phased manner.

The first major Nxtra facility in Lagos, Nigeria, will deliver 34 MW of total power. It is designed to host high density racks and integrate the latest best practice construction to achieve 1.3 power usage effectiveness (PUE). It is expected to be live in 2025.

Yash Issur, CEO of data centre division of Nxtra by Airtel Africa, said: “A rapid increase in data centre capacity is needed to support the growth potential of Africa’s digital economy. We’re proud to drive the future of Africa’s digital infrastructure, unlocking opportunities for businesses to grow and fueling economic prosperity.”