Telecom
MTN Nigeria, Dell Technologies Unveil Nigeria’s Largest Prefabricated Modular Data Centre
MTN Nigeria, leading Nigerian tech company, in a landmark collaboration with Dell Technologies, today announced the official launch of the Dabengwa Data Centre, a state-of-the-art facility poised to revolutionise enterprise IT infrastructure across West Africa with its comprehensive cloud services offering.
This strategic partnership delivers computing power, secure storage, and seamless cloud integration, empowering businesses to enhance operational efficiency, maintain regulatory compliance, and accelerate digital transformation within a trusted, locally hosted environment.
This initiative underscores MTN’s ambition to evolve beyond a traditional telecommunications provider into a leading tech, a trusted technology partner dedicated to delivering innovative digital solutions. The Dabengwa Data Centre is a testament to MTN’s commitment to transforming Nigeria’s digital economy and providing scalable data solutions for businesses of all sizes, enabling them to compete effectively on the global stage.
The Dabengwa Data Centre stands as West Africa’s largest prefabricated modular data centre in Nigeria, using 96 prefabricated containers for Phase-1, setting a new benchmark for technological advancement and infrastructure scale in the region. Designed with the future in mind, the data centre incorporates AI-driven energy optimisation and robust hybrid cloud capabilities, ensuring unparalleled performance and flexibility for its clients.
Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, Honourable Minister of Communications,Innovation & Digital Economy, said: “The MTN Data centreis part of the digital foundation of Nigeria’s modern economy that we seek -one that provides, and will continue to provide world class reliability, sothat we can keep our money local. We don’t have to ship it out in dollars.” Hedescribed the data centre as “excellent.”
While thanking MTN for providing the platform that willhelp accelerate Nigeria’s critical sectors, from fintech, healthcare, education platforms, and artificial intelligence, Tijani said that it is “only through this kind of infrastructure can we truly enablesovereignty, trust, but also national productivity.”
His Excellency, Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu,represented by the Secretary to the State’s Government, Barrister Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, said: “Investments like this onethat we’re here to launch offer a platform for our young people to be able tothrive. Enterprise-grade infrastructure on our own soil, giving start-ups,developers, and data creators the ability to build and scale from Nigeria tothe world. With this facility, MTN is reinforcing Nigeria’s position as thedigital backbone of West Africa.” She emphasised that due to the location of the datacentre, Lagos State now had the “bragging rights.”
The Nigerian data centre market is experiencing significant growth, with projections indicating an increasefrom 136.7 MW in 2025 to 279.4 MW by 2030, representing a Compound AnnualGrowth Rate (CAGR) of 15.37%. This growth is further supported by substantial investments, with data centre operators committing over $630 million to expand capacity in Nigeria.
Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, represented by Engr. Babagaba Digima, Deputy Director, New Media and Information Security Department, said: “Today marks a significant milestone in Nigeria’s digital sovereignty and technological independence. The infrastructure we celebrate here today embodies our collective vision of a digitally empowered Nigeria.”
Commending MTN for being at the forefront of digital innovation in Nigeria, Engr. Digima said that the “The Commission remains committed to creating an environment that supports innovation while ensuring the highest standards of cybersecurity, data protection, and a robust internet infrastructure and service quality.”
He added that at the commission “we will continue to work closely with operators to ensure that critical infrastructure deployment meets robust standards our digital economy deserves.”
AI-driven energy optimisation is a cornerstone of the Dabengwa Data Centre’s design. Artificial intelligence algorithms intelligently manage workloads and optimise energy sources, including the utilisation of green energy, to significantly reduce the facility’s carbon footprint. This commitment to efficiency ensures that businesses leveraging the Dabengwa Data Centre benefit from a sustainable and cost-effective infrastructure.
“Today is a significant day for Nigeria,” said Dr. Ernest Ndukwe (OFR), Chairman of MTN Nigeria. “Setting up the infrastructure of this size is not an easy task. And I want to seize the opportunity to thank those who have been working tirelessly to make it happen.”
MTN Nigeria CEO, Dr. Karl Toriola, stated: “Today is not simply the commissioning of the state-of-the-art data centre and launch of a new cloud platform, it is a lot more. It is a representation of technological advancements that focuses on the development of a state-of-the-art commissioning and data-centric architecture in line with the direction and policy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
He added that the data centre, which cost about $150 million, “is a significant leap in the data landscape to meet the increasing demand of Nigerian businesses for solutions that focus on growth and innovation.”
Speaking on the data centre and MTN Cloud, which was also unveiled to help Nigerian businesses, and boost the country’s digital eco-system, Lynda Saint-Nwafor, Chief Enterprise Business Officer at MTN Nigeria, said that the innovation has launched Nigeria into a new tech era. “A few weeks from now, we’ll launch the MTN Cloud Accelerator for Africa. This isn’t just another accelerator, but one that would empower the Nigeria tech-ecosystem for growth,” she said. The MTN Cloud Accelerator Program is tailored to support startups in the ecosystem with training and resources they needed to thrive. The MTN Cloud was built in Africa but can be accessed by local and global businesses.
The launch of the Dabengwa Data Centre aligns with Nigeria’s strategic push for digital sovereignty and regulatory compliance. The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has finalised a data classification framework that encourages cloud service providers to establish local operations in Nigeria, mandating that certain categories of sensitive data, including health, financial, and government data, must be hosted within Nigeria.
By providing a world-class, locally hosted environment, the Dabengwa Data Centre enables international cloud service providers to meet these critical regulatory requirements, fostering greater trust and security in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem. This move is a significant step towards enhancing national security and attracting further investment in the country’s digital infrastructure.
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has announced the formation of Airbel Ventures, a new humanitarian impact investing fund aimed at accelerating the introduction and scaling of breakthrough technologies in crisis-affected communities.
The fund will invest in companies whose ideas have the potential to change humanitarian response, including digital infrastructure for frontline health systems and climate-resilient agriculture.
The launch of Airbel Ventures follows a period of rapid innovation at the IRC, despite the humanitarian sector facing record funding cuts.
In the past year, the IRC’s Airbel Impact Lab has advanced more than twenty Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology initiatives—from anticipatory action tools powered by climate and vulnerability data, to frontline service delivery using safe, orchestrated AI systems, to breakthrough diagnostic tools for emerging diseases.
Airbel Ventures’ first impact investment is in Signalytic, a company delivering solar-powered computing devices that ensure reliable electricity and connectivity for remote health facilities.
Following the investment, the IRC will pilot Signalytic’s technology with its Nigeria Health team, demonstrating the viability of next-generation digital infrastructure in humanitarian settings.
“We know breakthrough solutions already exist—what’s missing is the path to scale in humanitarian contexts,” said Dr. Jeannie Annan, Senior Vice President for Research & Innovation at the IRC and head of the Airbel Impact Lab.
MTN Nigeria, the country’s largest telecommunications operator, recorded a historic surge in network disruptions in 2025, suffering 9,218 fibre cuts as of December 31, alongside 211 base station sites affected by theft and vandalism, incidents that disrupted mobile and data services relied upon daily by millions of Nigerians.
The data was revealed by Dr Karl Toriola, chief executive officer/managing director, MTN Nigeria via a social media post titled ‘MTN Nigeria 2025 Wrapped’.
The scale of the damage highlights the growing vulnerability of Nigeria’s telecommunications infrastructure, which has come under increasing pressure from road construction activities, cable theft and deliberate acts of vandalism.
MTN said 5,478 fibre cuts occurred within just the first seven months of 2025, with 760 incidents recorded in July alone, underscoring the intensity of the challenge.
Some of the incidents had wide-ranging consequences, knocking out connectivity across multiple states simultaneously and affecting voice calls, data services, digital payments and enterprise operations.
The company described the situation as a national infrastructure problem, rather than an isolated corporate issue, given the economy’s deep dependence on mobile networks.
“These gaps were shaped by real operational challenges such as fibre cuts, theft, and vandalism. Their impact is felt directly by customers and reflected in what they tell us,” Toriola,
The disruptions were reflected in customer feedback volumes, as MTN handled an unprecedented number of complaints during the year. The operator said it resolved 1,624,263 customer complaints in 2025, spanning call centres, social media platforms, emails and physical service centres nationwide.
Despite the setbacks, MTN pointed to signs of operational resilience. The company retained its ranking as Nigeria’s best network by Ookla, returned to profitability after a challenging period, declared an interim dividend, and expanded its subscriber base to over 85 million users by September 2025.
The figures show that while Nigeria’s telecom operators continue to invest heavily in network expansion and customer service, infrastructure sabotage remains a major drag on service quality and operating costs.
MTN acknowledged that performance improvements remain a work in progress. “We are not where we want to be yet. We see you. We hear you. We exist because of you. And we will get better,” Toriola said.
As the company enters its 25th year of operations in Nigeria, Toriola said MTN is doubling down on customer-centricity, treating every piece of feedback as a guide for improvement, while also stepping up engagement with government agencies.
The CEO renewed calls for stronger regulatory and legal protections for telecommunications infrastructure, urging policymakers to classify fibre cables, base stations and other critical assets as national infrastructure and criminalise vandalism to deter repeat attacks.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has granted operating licences to six new Internet Service Providers (ISPs), effective January 1, 2026, raising the total number of authorised ISPs in the country to 231 from 225 recorded in December 2025.
NCC
The newly licensed firms are Intellvision Technologies Limited, Granet Technologies Limited, Fiber Sonic Limited, Dasol Solution Services Ltd, Boost ISP Limited, and Amazon Kuiper Nigeria Limited.
Five of these companies are headquartered in Lagos, while Granet Technologies Limited operates from Owerri in Imo State, highlighting the persistent concentration of broadband infrastructure in major commercial hubs like Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt.
This development intensifies competition in Nigeria’s broadband market, which faces pressure from dominant mobile network operators such as MTN and Airtel, alongside rapid expansion by satellite providers like Starlink.
Traditional ISPs continue to grapple with shrinking customer bases, aggressive data pricing from telcos, and satellite disruptions, even as NCC data from Q2 2025 showed Spectranet, Starlink, and FibreOne controlling about 65 per cent of the 313,713 active ISP subscribers.
The inclusion of Amazon Kuiper Nigeria Limited marks a significant entry of global satellite broadband competition, building on Nigeria’s recent approvals for other low Earth orbit providers to enhance connectivity in underserved areas.
Industry analysts view the licences as a strategic push to improve internet quality amid rising demand for digital services, though geographic clustering underscores ongoing infrastructure challenges outside urban centres.
NCC’s move aligns with broader efforts to foster a competitive telecoms sector critical to Nigeria’s digital economy ambitions.
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