Telecom
Nnamani Upbeat on Digital Realty’s $500m Investment, Says it will Boost Nigeria’s Digital Economy
Following the acquisition of Medallion Data Centres, Nigeria’s leading colocation and interconnection provider by Digital Realty, the largest global provider of cloud- and carrier-neutral data center, Engr. Ikechukwu Nnamani, Chief Executive Officer of Medallion Data Centres Limited (formerly Medallion Communications Limited), has said that the investment is a major boost towards Nigeria’s quest for a fully digital economy in the near future.
Ikechukwu Nnamani / William Stein
“The entrance of Digital Realty into Nigeria is truly significant as it ensures that the plan by the Federal Government of Nigeria to create a fully digital economy will be actualized,” he said in a statement today in Lagos following the announcement by Digital Reality.
Engr. Nnamani, expressed delight at the successful conclusion of the transaction and pointed out that Nigeria as a country is the biggest beneficiary of this development. According to him, for Nigeria to transition to a fully digital economy, it will need next generation telecom infrastructure of which datacenters is a critical part.
“None of the global digital content and cloud service providers has their storage or compute nodes in Nigeria or any of the West African countries. To attract global players in the telecom and ICT space to Nigeria, we must have world class datacenters operating at hyperscale level.
“Although Medallion has a robust datacenter business and rated as one of the best datacenter operator in the region, we realized we needed a global player with international experience to work with if we are to fulfill the expectation of the emerging datacenter market in the sub-region,” the statement added.
This prompted Medallion to structure investment with Digital Realty, largest global provider of cloud- and carrier-neutral data centers, colocation and interconnection solutions. Digital Realty supports the world’s leading enterprises and service providers by delivering the full spectrum of data centre, colocation and interconnection solutions. PlatformDIGITAL®, the company’s global data centre platform, provides customers a trusted foundation and proven Pervasive Datacenter Architecture (PDx™) solution methodology for scaling digital business and efficiently managing data gravity challenges. Digital Realty’s global data centre footprint gives customers access to the connected communities that matter to them with 291 facilities in 47 metros across 24 countries on six continents. Digital Realty currently maintains over 167,000 cross connects and client base of over 4,000 customers.
Apart from upgrading the Medallion existing datacenters to global standards, new world class datacenters will be built in the West African sub-region leading to job creation, rapid acceleration of the digital economy, and much needed foreign direct investment into the sub-region
The combination of the strong regional presence of Medallion, together with Digital Realty’s continued investment in PlatformDIGITAL, the company’s global data centre platform – will support customers in Nigeria and the continent as they navigate digital transformation strategies and the complexities of rapidly growing demand, the need for global coverage, and additional capacity.
Digital Reality had earlier this week in its attempt to foray significantly into the African datacenter market, which many analysts and industry watchers described as untouched, announced the investment of $500million into the African datacenter ecosystem with a huge part of the investment going into the Nigerian market.
The investment is through a joint venture with the Pembani Remgro Infrastructure Fund. Also, as part of the transaction, the joint venture is also acquiring a land parcel adjacent to the hitherto Medallion Lagos data centre to provide near-term expansion capacity with Medallion’s management team, led by CEO and Co-Founder Engr. Ikechukwu Nnamani still leading the business.
Speaking on the investment, William Stein, Chief Executive Officer of Digital Realty, said there is a need to tap into the Africa’s expanding internet economy, noting that over the next decade, there will be huge opportunity for global businesses to tap into with predictions that it could reach 5.2 percent of the continent’s GDP by 2025, contributing nearly $180 billion to its economy up from $115 billion in 2020.
“Starting with Medallion Data Centres in Nigeria, Digital Realty aims to be a core enabler of African economy through major investment in the continent’s internet infrastructure, that serves over one billion people who do not yet have proper access to the benefits of internet,” he said.
William disclosed that the expansion of Digital Realty into the African internet infrastructure is a leap forward but it is just the start of a $500 million commitment to investment in the continent over the next decade, stressing Digital Realty sees a huge opportunity to underpin Africa’s expanding internet economy and ultimately, play a central role in its growth.
This makes the first time a global pure real estate investment trust (REIT) will be entering the country and beats rivals including Equinix (NASDAQ: EQIX), CyrusOne (NYSE: CONE), and CoreSite Realty (NYSE: COR) on entrance into the market. The presence of REITs like Digital Realty in any country is the first step towards the establishment of local content and infrastructure by global hyperscale service providers whose services digitally transform the country of operation.
Lebara Nigeria has become a member of the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) as it expands operations in the West African country.
The membership places Lebara Nigeria within a global network of more than 1,000 mobile operators, device manufacturers, technology companies and digital service providers.
Through the GSMA, the company will have access to industry research, technical standards, policy engagement and industry initiatives.
Lebara Nigeria said the move reflects its participation in the wider telecommunications ecosystem as it develops its operations in Nigeria’s mobile market.
Nigeria’s telecommunications sector plays a central role in the country’s digital economy, with more than 170 million active mobile subscriptions supporting services such as digital payments, e-commerce, education and healthcare.
Industry analysts say participation in international bodies such as the GSMA supports knowledge sharing and the adoption of industry standards.
Lebara Nigeria said GSMA membership will support its engagement with industry developments and policy discussions in the telecommunications sector.
The company said it remains focused on operating in Nigeria’s mobile telecommunications market as demand for connectivity continues to grow.
GSM Association is the advocacy and lobbying organization for the mobile communications industry, representing more than 1,000 mobile operators as full members and a further 400 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem as associate members.
Management of Vitel Wireless, mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), has distanced the company from a fraudulent scheme operating under the name: “Vitel Shares Services.”
In an official statement, the management clarified that Vitel Wireless is not selling shares or running any investment schemes.
They warned that the operators of “Vitel Shares Services” are using unauthorised websites, mobile applications, social media promotions, and bank accounts falsely linked to Vitel Wireless to mislead the public.
The statement reads: “The attention of Vitel Wireless has been drawn to a fraudulent scheme operating under the name ‘Vitel Shares Services.’
“We wish to state clearly that Vitel Wireless has no affiliation with Vitel Shares Services, or any platform claiming to offer Vitel shares, investments, or financial products through unofficial channels.
“We do not solicit investments through agents, social media, websites, apps, or third parties. Any platform claiming to offer Vitel Wireless shares or investments outside our official channels is fraudulent and should be treated as such.
“We urge the general public to remain vigilant and verify all information through official Vitel Wireless communication channels before making any payments or sharing personal data.”
Airtel Nigeria has concluded its second Customer Forum in Abuja, bringing together a large section of customers including high-volume data subscribers, 5G customers, and key stakeholders in another landmark engagement aimed at addressing concerns around data usage, transparency, and customer experience.
The forum themed “Understanding Your Data and Taking Control 2.0.” aimed to strengthen trust in Nigeria’s rapidly evolving telecommunications landscape. The session also featured inputs from representatives of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Delivering the Keynote remarks, Dinesh Balsingh, CEO of Airtel Nigeria, who was represented by Femi Adeniran, Director, Corporate Communications and CSR, emphasised that trust remains the most valuable currency in telecommunications, and Airtel remains committed to strengthening customer confidence through transparency and continuous engagement.
He explained that discussions around data consumption have become increasingly important as digital lifestyles evolve, with smartphones, cloud services, video streaming and emerging artificial intelligence applications significantly influencing data usage patterns.
According to him, Airtel recently introduced the Airtel Data Calculator, an innovative tool designed to help customers estimate their data needs based on online activities such as multimedia streaming, video calls, social media usage, and gaming.
“The purpose of the Airtel Data Calculator is to provide greater visibility, support informed decision-making and place more information directly in the hands of customers. Because transparency should never be viewed as a compliance exercise. Transparency is good business,” he stated.
He further reassured customers that Airtel has no incentive to shortchange subscribers through inaccurate billing, forced spending or unnecessary data depletion, stressing that the company’s growth depends on customer satisfaction, loyalty and trust.
Adeniran also highlighted Airtel’s continued investments in network infrastructure, fibre capacity, digital platforms, artificial intelligence capabilities, customer service systems and workforce development, noting that these investments are aimed at improving service quality and enhancing customer experiences.
Oladokun Oye, Director, Customer Experience, Airtel Nigeria, while welcoming participants to the event, said the forum was created to provide customers with an open platform for education, engagement and problem-solving, noting that the customer remains at the centre of Airtel’s business.
“Data has become central to everyday life, powering work, education, commerce, entertainment, healthcare and countless opportunities. As data usage grows, so too does the desire for greater visibility and understanding.
Today’s conversation is part of an ongoing journey. A journey toward greater transparency. A journey toward deeper understanding. And a journey toward a better customer experience for every Airtel subscriber,” he said.
The forum also featured practical demonstrations on data consumption management, device settings, and usage habits that impact data usage. It also included an interactive session by which Airtel teams provided clarifications and offered feedback to customers.
The Abuja event follows the successful maiden edition held earlier this year in Lagos and aligns with broader industry efforts led by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to improve consumer awareness, transparency, and confidence within the telecommunications sector.
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