Airtel Africa recently announced plans to establish a new data centre in Nairobi, making it their second in Africa following their facility in Nigeria. This move is part of the company’s strategy to diversify its revenue sources through a proposed 7-megawatt capacity centre in Kenya, building on its existing 36-megawatt centre in Lagos.
As stated by CEO Segun Ogunsanya, construction will commence in Nigeria soon and is anticipated to conclude in Kenya by mid-2026. Ogunsanya describes these data centres as vital components in Airtel’s portfolio and underscores their commercial potential.
Airtel Africa aims to reduce data management costs and enhance the accessibility of digital services by constructing local data centres, thereby encouraging innovation and supporting Africa’s emerging tech talents.
After launching its data hub business, Nxtra, in December 2023, the company aims to develop smaller data centres for its mobile cable landing stations in Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Gabon, alongside Lagos and Nairobi.
In other developments, Airtel Africa has expanded its footprint in Kenya through investments in voice and mobile money services. In February 2023, the company declared its intention to introduce 5G in Kenya. Currently, its network infrastructure, which spans 3,200 sites, covers 89% of Kenya’s 47 counties.
