Telecom
AFR-IX Telecom, Global ISP Establishes Regional Point of Presence (POP) @ Rack Centre

AFR-IX, the global Internet Service Provider with service coverage in over 50 countries in Africa, delivering Internet and data services to Enterprises, International Carriers and Telecommunication Operators and the largest Pan Africa Network has established its major Point of Presence (POP) in Rack Centre, West Africa’s leading carrier neutral Tier III data centre.
AFR-IX telecom group ranked at Number 344 in the Financial Times 1000 and recognised in the 2020 annual list of Europe’s fastest growing companies. Mr Norman Albi, Founder and Chief Executive, said the recognition had helped the company build trust in markets worldwide, especially in Africa.
“We offer an international high quality and personalized Internet and data services to corporates and telecommunications in the African continent and our extensive Pan African Network covered with terrestrial and submarine cables makes AFR-IX one of the leading Telecom operating service providers in Africa, and the most reliable and largest metro-Ethernet network with Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS).”
Mr Albi commented on Nigeria as a strategic location for AFR-IX; “we needed a top-notch carrier neutral data centre facility for our services and connectivity solutions. Rack Centre satisfied our requirements for providing world-class Tier III certified data centre and data centre interconnection to our clients, especially in the West Africa subregion.”
Dr Ayotunde Coker, Managing Director of Rack Centre, said it was a “delight welcoming AFR-IX to the array of local and global clients hosting in Rack Centre carrier neutral data centre. We will do our utmost as we do with all our clients to deliver outstanding services for AFR-IX to serve its customers in Africa and beyond.
Since inception in 2013 Rack Centre has maintained a 100 per cent uptime and offers its customers, open access and uncapped interconnect capacities. Its non-affiliation with any telecommunications carrier or Internet Service Providers unlocks access to multiple connectivity providers- over 40 carriers, ISPs and content distribution networks to choose from.”
Rack Centre recently announced a 100 Million USD expansion plan, as part of the 250 Million USD that Actis, the UK based equity firm set aside for data centre investments in Africa. Actis recently took a majority stake in Rack Centre.
The investment said Dr Coker has immensely impacted and reinforced Rack Centre’s global brand and enables its rapid expansion to realise the market potential for high quality data centres in the region.
Telecom
ATCON Commends FG for $2Bn “Project Bridge”, Pledges Support

Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) on Monday commended the Federal Ministry of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) for spearheading a new initiative known as ‘Project Bridge’.
Tony Emoekpere, president, ATCON, stated in an interview with NAN in Lagos that the initiative aimed to create a robust and resilient telecommunications backbone across Nigeria.
Emoekpere stated that the project was an ambitious public-private partnership designed to connect all 36 states and Abuja, as well as LGAs, via fiber optic cables.
According to him, the initiative is not meant to replace existing infrastructure but to complement it, creating a more resilient network.
“Right now, most of the networks that we have are linear in nature. ’Just imagine, if there’s only one road from Lagos to Ibadan; if anything happens to that road, you would not get to Ibadan.
‘’This project will create alternative routes,” he said.
The ATCON boss stated that the project was modeled after the successful PPP framework in the energy sector, with the government contributing a certain percentage to the Special Purpose Vehicle and the private sector providing the remaining funding.
He stated that the project’s goal was to establish alternative, redundant connections, thereby ensuring that services remained uninterrupted even if one part of the network was compromised.
The president expressed the full support of telcos, noting that the project would enable members to deliver services more effectively in locations where infrastructure was currently a significant challenge.
“With this project, we will have multiple options,” he said.
Project BRIDGE involves building a nationwide fiber optic network to expand digital infrastructure and connectivity, rather than a physical bridge, as part of Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan.
The project is a public-private partnership ($2 billion cost) using an SPV to deploy 90,000km of fiber-optic cable to enhance education, healthcare, and the digital economy.
Telecom
MTN Restores Services After Planned Network Maintenance in Parts of Adamawa, Borno, and Kano

MTN Nigeria has successfully completed a scheduled network maintenance operation that affected 101 sites across 15 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Adamawa, Borno, and Kano States.
The restoration marks a significant step in the company’s ongoing efforts to enhance service reliability in the Northeast region, amidst multiple fibre cuts and vandalism.
The maintenance, which took place on Sunday, August 24, involved the cutover of traffic to a newly installed fiber span along the AFCOT–Bawo Village route in Adamawa State.
This upgrade was necessary to replace a previously damaged section of the network infrastructure. All service maintenance was done within timeframe and restorations before 1 PM on Sunday August 24th.
We can confirm that all impacted sites have been fully restored, and services are now operating normally. We appreciate our subscribers’ patience and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused during the downtime.
The affected services included 2G, 3G, 4G, and enterprise connectivity, with temporary disruptions experienced in LGAs such as Girei, Song, Mubi North, Hong, and Michika in Adamawa; Askira/Uba and Shani in Borno; and Nasarawa in Kano.
The work was scheduled during daylight hours to ensure the safety of field engineers, given the linear and unprotected nature of the route.
This restoration is part of MTN’s broader strategy to strengthen its infrastructure in underserved regions and ensure consistent service delivery across Nigeria, amidst constant fibre cuts and vandalism.
Telecom
TikTok Unveils Artist Insights Platform in Nigeria

TikTok has launched its music insights platform, TikTok for Artists, in Nigeria to support artist growth and fan engagement across the country’s vibrant music industry.
The platform, which debuted globally earlier this year, provides artists, labels, and management teams with access to daily-updated dashboards and analytics tools to track music performance, audience demographics, and fan interactions.
Toyin Mustapha, Head of Music Partnerships for the UK, Ireland, and Sub-Saharan Africa at TikTok, said the initiative was part of the company’s commitment to empowering African creators.
“With the launch of TikTok for Artists in Nigeria, we’re giving artists and their teams access to insights that can help them engage their fans in more meaningful ways and grow their careers globally,” Mustapha said.
The platform offers detailed song performance metrics, including views, posts, and creator engagements per track. It also provides granular post-level data such as likes, comments, shares, and completion rates, alongside demographic breakdowns by gender, age, and language.
In addition to analytics, TikTok for Artists includes educational resources and step-by-step guides to help artists build sustainable careers.
A key feature of the platform is the Pre-Release tool, which allows artists to launch campaigns for upcoming albums and enables fans to pre-save tracks on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
British artist Jordan Adetunji described the platform as a “game changer,” noting its value in helping artists and their teams plan effective campaigns.
TikTok said the rollout reaffirms its investment in Africa’s creative economy and aims to foster deeper connections between artists and fans across the continent.
The platform is now available to all certified TikTok Artist Accounts, with access also extendable to managers and label teams.
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