MTN’s New Tier 4 Data Centre Set to Go Live in June as Nigeria Eyes Infrastructure Gaps

MTN Nigeria is set to activate its newly built, Tier 4 data centre before the end of June 2025. The 1,500-rack facility is part of the telco’s broader ambition to expand data capacity and meet the surging demand for digital services. The facility is a response to Nigeria’s massive growth in data consumption—up over 685% since 2019.

Lagos dominates as investment clusters

Most data centres are concentrated in Lagos, largely because that’s where submarine cables land,” Ibrahim noted. But this setup introduces risk.

“It’s not just about keeping up with data growth,” Ibrahim added. “It’s also about ensuring resilience.”

With 13 of Nigeria’s 16 operational data centres based in Lagos, the city remains the country’s digital nerve centre—largely due to its proximity to undersea cable landings. However, experts warn of the risk in over-centralisation and the need for regional redundancy.

Nigeria’s data infrastructure still playing catch-up

Despite recent private-sector investments, Nigeria accounts for just 1% of global data centre capacity. Analysts say that’s not enough for the continent’s most populous nation, where demand for content localisation, cloud services, and fintech reliability continues to grow.

From MTN and Airtel to global players like Equinix and OADC, operators have committed over $630 million in infrastructure builds. Yet voices in the industry, including MTN and OADC leadership, say more facilities must be built outside Lagos to future-proof Nigeria’s digital economy.