Kasi Cloud Datacentres has launched an AI-ready hyperscale data centre in Lagos, marking a significant step in Nigeria’s digital infrastructure expansion and cloud localisation ambitions.

The company said the facility, known as LOS1, was developed on approximately four hectares in the Maiyegun area of Lekki, Lagos, adjacent to six subsea cable landing stations, including Equiano and 2Africa.

According to Kasi Cloud Datacentres, the campus is designed to scale to about 100MW of critical IT capacity once fully developed.

The company added that LOS1 has been engineered to support high-density artificial intelligence (AI) and accelerated computing workloads alongside enterprise cloud and connectivity platforms, while delivering sub-50ms latency for in-country services.

Kasi Cloud Datacentres said Nigerian enterprises currently spend an estimated $850 million annually on foreign cloud infrastructure, resulting in capital outflows and data being hosted under foreign legal jurisdictions.

The company said LOS1 provides what it describes as Nigeria’s first institutional-grade, AI-ready alternative built locally and aligned with the country’s National Cloud Policy 2025, which requires sensitive government and financial data to be hosted domestically.

Johnson Agogbua, founder and CEO of Kasi Cloud Datacentres, said: “For too long, Africa’s data has powered someone else’s economy.

“Today, that changes. This flag-off marks the transition from development into commissioning and operational readiness as we deliver world-class sovereign cloud and AI infrastructure, built in Lagos, for Africa’s digital future.”

Aminu Umar-Sadiq, managing director and CEO of the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), a foundational investor in Kasi Cloud Datacentres, views digital infrastructure as a key driver of Nigeria’s long-term economic transformation.

NSIA said in its 2025 annual report that Kasi Cloud Datacentres is helping to advance Nigeria’s digital infrastructure as an indigenous hyperscale data centre platform.

Umar-Sadiq added: “We target high-impact projects that transform critical sectors of economic growth, including initiatives like Kasi Data Centre.

“We expect that the transformative impact of this infrastructure on the domestic tech space will reposition Nigeria. The board and management of the Authority are proud to be associated with this development.”

Mark Adams, Co-Founder of Kasi Cloud Datacentres, said: “Africa represents one of the most compelling long-term digital infrastructure growth markets globally.

“As global cloud, AI and content platforms continue expanding into emerging markets, Nigeria — and Lagos specifically — is uniquely positioned to become the strategic digital gateway for the continent. Kasi LOS1 is the infrastructure that makes that possible.”

ipNX has called for stronger policy enforcement across government and industry to address the persistent challenges affecting fibre infrastructure deployment, following key discussions at the 8th Policy Implementation Assisted Forum (PIAFO) National Dig-Once Event held in Lagos on 16th April, 2026 at the Radisson Blu, Ikeja.

The forum, themed “Accelerating Nigeria’s Digital Backbone: Dig-Once Policy, Project BRIDGE and Strategies for Effective Fibre Deployment,” brought together industry stakeholders to address inefficiencies in broadband rollout and the growing rate of network disruptions across the country.

In his keynote address on the day, President of the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Tony Emoekpere, reinforced the need for improved execution of existing policies.

“We have strong policies in place, but execution remains our biggest challenge. The dig-once framework presents a clear opportunity to reduce inefficiencies, minimise service disruptions, and optimise infrastructure investment across the sector,” he said.

Speaking at the forum, Dr Olusola Teniola, Director, Strategic Business Initiatives, ipNX, emphasized the importance of aligning infrastructure development with Nigeria’s digital ambitions.

“The future of Nigeria’s digital economy depends on how efficiently we deploy and protect our fibre infrastructure. A coordinated dig-once approach is not just a cost-saving mechanism; it is a strategic imperative that ensures resilience, scalability, and sustainability of our networks.

At ipNX, we believe that collaboration between public and private stakeholders is critical to unlocking the full value of broadband connectivity across the country” he said.

A major highlight of the discussions was the revelation that road construction accounts for approximately 60 per cent of telecom network outages in Nigeria, underscoring the urgent need for a coordinated “dig-once” approach. The policy advocates the installation of fibre ducts during road construction or rehabilitation, enabling multiple operators to deploy infrastructure without repeated excavation.

On the first panel session, “Who Digs, Who Deploys, Who Protects: Developing the Ultimate Framework for Aligning Roles in Sustainable Fibre Expansion” Deputy Director, Strategic Business Initiatives, ipNX, Segun Okuneye, highlighted the shared responsibility required to safeguard critical telecom infrastructure.

“Protecting fibre infrastructure must be a collective effort involving government, operators, and local communities. While regulatory frameworks such as the Critical National Information Infrastructure designation are steps in the right direction, enforcement and awareness remain key to reducing the frequency of fibre cuts and ensuring service continuity for millions of Nigerians,” he noted.

Stakeholders at the forum collectively identified several critical issues and recommendations for improving fibre deployment in Nigeria, including, the adoption of shared infrastructure models to reduce duplication and unnecessary road excavation and leveraging emerging technologies, including real-time fibre monitoring systems, to improve fault detection and response times.

The discussions also highlighted the gap between Nigeria’s existing broadband capacity and actual utilisation, with significant infrastructure still under-leveraged due to distribution and access challenges.

ipNX reaffirmed its commitment to supporting initiatives that enhance connectivity, drive digital inclusion, and enable sustainable infrastructure development. As a pioneer in Nigeria’s broadband FTTH ecosystem, the company continues to advocate for policies and partnerships that will strengthen the nation’s digital backbone and unlock new opportunities across sectors.

Google has announced a new generation of artificial intelligence-powered advertising and commerce tools driven by its Gemini AI technology during the 2026 edition of Google Marketing Live 2026.

Google

The company said the new solutions are designed to help businesses improve discovery, creativity, commerce and marketing performance across Google Search and YouTube.

Google disclosed that Gemini has become the engine powering the next phase of AI-driven advertising and commerce experiences.

According to the company, AI Mode in Google Search has already surpassed one billion monthly users globally within one year of launch.

Google said it is now officially upgrading Search with Gemini 3.5 Flash as the default model powering AI Mode worldwide.

The company explained that the latest AI-powered Search experience is evolving beyond traditional keyword-based results into a platform capable of reasoning, monitoring the web and executing complex tasks for users.

Among the key announcements was the introduction of new AI-powered advertising formats on Search.

Google said its new Conversational Discovery ads in AI Mode would generate customised ad creatives based on a user’s search intent, while Highlighted Answers would allow advertisers to appear as featured recommendations when considered highly relevant by the AI system.

The company also announced expanded Direct Offers features, enabling brands to upload discounts, giveaways and travel promotions that Gemini can match to users during AI-assisted planning.

Google further unveiled AI-powered Shopping ads featuring AI-generated explainers and a new Business Agent for Leads tool that allows shoppers to interact directly with an AI agent trained on an advertiser’s website.

The technology giant also upgraded its AI-powered creative hub, Asset Studio, allowing marketers to generate text, image and video assets using natural language prompts.

According to Google, the tool can now process marketing briefs, brand guidelines and reference materials to create campaign assets tailored to business goals.

The company said new AI-powered campaign features under Demand Gen would expand to Google Maps and integrate Merchant Center product videos for retailers.

Google also announced improvements to measurement and analytics tools, including integration of its open-source Meridian Marketing Mix Model into Google Analytics 360.

The company said this would help businesses analyse cross-channel and first-party data more effectively.

On agentic commerce, Google revealed new capabilities under its Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), allowing AI agents to securely connect with retailer systems for shopping and booking experiences.

The updated system will support multi-product checkout experiences directly within Google and YouTube Shopping ads.

Google said the features would initially launch in the United States before expanding to countries including Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.

The company also launched Ask Advisor, an AI-powered assistant integrated across Google Ads, Google Analytics, Google Marketing Platform and Merchant Center to provide marketers with personalised recommendations and campaign insights.

Google described the latest updates as a shift from traditional marketing automation to “marketing intelligence,” positioning Gemini as a strategic partner for businesses and advertisers globally.