E-Business
Rack Centre now First IFC EDGE Certified Data Centre in Europe, Middle East and Africa
Rack Centre, an Actis majority owned data centre and the leading carrier-neutral Tier III data centre in West Africa, has become the first International Finance Corporation (IFC) EDGE certified data centre in Europe, Middle East and Africa.
This prestigious green building certification recognises the significant savings the centre will achieve in energy and water use, incorporated as part of the design to expand the facility’s IT load from 1.5MW to 13MW.
On completion of this expansion, Rack Centre is forecast to achieve 35% energy savings, which is estimated to avoid carbon emissions totalling approximately 100 tonnes each year.
Actis first partnered with Rack Centre in early 2020 as part of its $250 million African data centre platform investment. To ensure the data centre could meet the rapid growth in demand for hosting capacity in Africa, whilst at the same time reducing its environmental impact and operating costs, Actis has spearheaded a programme of green design philosophies and initiatives that will result in the data centre achieving 35% energy savings, 41% water savings, and deliver a 45% saving in embodied energy in materials used.
Actis prioritised the development of Rack Centre’s sustainability practises and worked with the IFC EDGE team to establish an assessment tool specifically for data centres.
Rack Centre will achieve these savings through a range of measures and green design principles, including switching from diesel to gas power generation, implementing water efficient cooling systems, implementing a low energy air circulation system and sourcing local materials and services wherever possible.
Switching its power source from diesel to gas power will not only save more than $10 million a year in operating costs, it will also reduce carbon intensity and improve air quality.
Rack Centre is Actis’ eleventh green certified building globally and, as the first green certified data centre in Africa, comprises Actis’ fifth “first” in Africa, following the development of the first green certified commercial buildings in Accra, Douala, Lagos and Nairobi.
In 2019, Actis’ Garden City built Africa’s Largest Solar Carport System on its roof and Jabi Lake Mall is the first shopping mall in Nigeria to house a rooftop solar system.
Ezekiel Egboye, Rack Centre Chief Operations Officer, commented: “At Rack Centre, we have had a track record of setting the standard for Power Usage Efficiency in the region. Sustainability is at the core of what we do and a quest that permeates through all of our actions.
We are delighted to be the first to be certified in Europe, Middle East and Africa. Another first in the region, as Rack Centre was the first carrier neutral colocation provider in Africa to be Tier III Constructed Facility Certified, and has grown the most comprehensive interconnection and limitless peering ecosystem of over 40 carriers and ISPs, also bringing about interconnect efficiencies. It is an honour to receive this certification and another step in delivering sustainable digital infrastructure in the region.”
Kabir Chal, Director in Actis’ Africa Real Estate team, commented: “Meeting Africa’s ever-growing demand for critical digital infrastructure must be achieved as sustainably as possible. We are proud to have secured IFC EDGE certification for a data centre in recognition of our work with the team at Rack Centre.
“We plan to implement similar improvements across future investments made by our pan-African data centre platform to help the continent secure a low carbon data revolution. This is another example of our belief that values drive value, and how our sustainability practices deliver shared value for all our stakeholders.”
Vivek Pathak, Director for Climate Business Department at the IFC, commented: “It has been a hugely rewarding process to work in partnership with Actis to develop this EDGE assessment tool for data centres. We hope other data centre operators will follow in Rack Centre’s footsteps and take the necessary action on the digital economies environmental impact by becoming IFC EDGE certified.”
Actis, a leading global investor in sustainable infrastructure, is an official EDGE Champion and has been recognised by the IFC and other influential organisations for its work embedding sustainable infrastructure and practises in the fabric and operations of commercial buildings globally.
Building on this track record of green construction, Actis worked in partnership with the IFC EDGE team to understand how Rack Centre might benefit from the existing EDGE assessment tool, leading to the development of this novel standard for datacentres.
Actis is a signatory to the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative, which supports the goal of Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 or sooner. The firm has committed to align its portfolio to Net Zero by 2050.
Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has opposed a bill seeking to compel major global social media companies to establish physical offices in Nigeria.
The rights advocacy group urged the National Assembly to discard the proposed legislation, warning that it could become a tool for censorship and undermine citizens’ constitutional right to freedom of expression, despite being presented as a measure to strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy and improve corporate accountability.
The position was contained in a presentation submitted yesterday by Emmanuel Onwubiko, national coordinator, HURIWA, to the chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Ned Munir Nwoko, has already passed second reading in the Senate and is before the committee for further legislative consideration.
HURIWA said it carefully reviewed the proposed legislation and concluded that compelling global technology companies to establish offices in Nigeria was unnecessary and potentially counterproductive.
The organisation argued that while the firms generate substantial revenue from Nigeria’s vast digital market, they already engage Nigerians through existing structures, including paying eligible content creators, working with local technology professionals and participating in legal proceedings whenever required.
According to the group, appointing local representatives where necessary would adequately address concerns about engagement with regulators and users without forcing the companies to maintain physical offices.
It also dismissed claims that mandatory country offices would significantly improve consumer complaint resolution, technology transfer or employment generation.
HURIWA maintained that the platforms already have effective feedback mechanisms for resolving users’ complaints and routinely appear before Nigerian courts through their representatives whenever litigation arises.
The group, however, said its greatest concern was the potential for the proposed law to be used as an instrument for restricting freedom of expression.
It argued that establishing local offices could expose global social media companies to pressure from government authorities to remove online content considered critical of those in power.
According to the rights group, the presence of social media companies in Nigeria could become an avenue for authorities to pressure them into abandoning internationally recognised digital rights standards in favour of politically motivated content moderation.
It recalled previous attempts to regulate social media in Nigeria that generated widespread concerns over possible restrictions on free speech, stressing that any legislation affecting the digital space must contain clear safeguards against abuse.
The organisation warned that the proposed law should never become “a backdoor mechanism for government surveillance, arbitrary content removal or political censorship.
Nigeria has emerged as one of Africa’s most regulated online gambling markets, even as illegal operators continue to dominate the continent, according to a new report by Gaming Compliance International (GCI).
The report, the first comprehensive assessment of online gambling across all 54 African countries, showed that Africa’s online gambling Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) reached $23 billion in 2025.
However, only $5.2 billion (23 per cent) was generated by licensed operators, while $17.8 billion (77 per cent) remained in the unregulated market.
In West Africa, total online gambling revenue rose to $4.8 billion in 2025 from $4.3 billion in 2024. Of the 2025 figure, regulated operators accounted for $1.5 billion (31 per cent), while $3.3 billion (69 per cent) flowed to unlicensed platforms, highlighting the region’s persistent enforcement challenges.
Nigeria stood out as the region’s strongest performer, recording the lowest unregulated market share at 56 per cent, compared with the West African average of 69 per cent and the African average of 77 per cent.
The study also found that online gambling participation across Africa increased from 198 million people (13 per cent of the population) in 2024 to 215 million (14 per cent) in 2025.
Despite this growth, GCI estimated that illegal operators deprived African governments of about $3.55 billion in tax revenue in 2025. The number of unlicensed gambling platforms targeting African consumers also rose to 4,129, up from 3,644 in 2024.
Commenting on the findings, Matt Holt, chief executive officer, GCI, said the report provides regulators with the first continent-wide benchmark for strengthening oversight and consumer protection.
Ismail Vali, president, GCI, urged governments to develop competitive and well-regulated markets that encourage consumers to patronise licensed operators, boost public revenue and attract greater investment.
Online gambling in Nigeria is regulated by the Nation Lottery Regulatory Commission.
At the height of the Northern Hemisphere tourist season, demand for communications and mobile Internet services rises sharply. Kaspersky’s security experts have uncovered scams that target anyone purchasing mobile connections or SIM cards worldwide.
Fraudsters create counterfeit websites that look like the portals of major regional and international telecom providers to trick users into revealing their phone numbers, personal details or banking information.
Kaspersky is sharing several examples of these fake login pages that mimic legitimate telecom operator sites and giving recommendations on how not to be deceived.
In the first case, scammers exploit the brand name of an international telecommunications company operating services in Asia, Africa and Europe. Fake authentication pages encourage users to put in their phone number and credentials.
While the first example shows the different design, the second scam site closely mimics the original log in page, making it hard for users to tell the difference and spot a fake. Entering authentication or payment data on fraudulent web sites may result in money or data loss and become a reason for more frequent spam and fraudulent calls.
Another example is a scam page which poses as another international communications company, working in North Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. In this scheme scammers encourage users to top up their mobile data/Internet plans by entering their personal information and bank cards details.
Kaspersky experts have also identified a scam when cyber criminals suggest users enter their personal data to check and pay a bill inquiry. Such scam schemes are usually aimed at gaining victims’ personal data for further fraud or account hacking and stealing money.
“Because of the active use of AI, scammers can now create fake pages with ever increasing accuracy and speed, targeting the most popular user interest areas. We constantly see scams revolving around sports events, music concerts, seasonal sales and holidays. Unfortunately, the telecoms industry is no exception.
To keep your data and money safe, be vigilant when purchasing mobile or Internet plans online. Using an eSIM – purchased through an official app – is one way to avoid fake telecom sites, as it eliminates the need to enter personal details on questionable web pages.
If you’re unsure about a site’s legitimacy, search for the brand name directly in a search engine and enable a security solution that blocks phishing links for you,” comments Tatyana Kulikova, cybersecurity expert at Kaspersky.
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