Vertiv, a leading global provider of critical digital infrastructure and continuity solutions, has entered into a multi-year collaboration with Nxtra by Airtel Africa to support the telecom giant’s ambitious vision of establishing one of the continent’s most extensive data centre networks. This partnership kicks off in Nigeria, marking the initial phase of Nxtra’s strategic expansion aimed at delivering high-capacity, energy-efficient digital infrastructure throughout Africa.
As part of this agreement, Vertiv will deliver state-of-the-art thermal management solutions, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems equipped with batteries, alongside full commissioning and maintenance services. The inaugural project involves a 42-megawatt (MW) data centre in Nigeria, which will be developed in four stages and is slated for completion by 2028. Vertiv’s local Nigerian team will manage the installation process and provide continuous support for five years, ensuring the facility operates smoothly with minimal interruptions.
Yash Issur, CEO of Nxtra, emphasized the importance of investing in large-scale, premium data centres to drive Africa’s digital evolution. “Choosing a partner with a blend of global expertise and a robust local footprint was essential,” Issur remarked. “Vertiv’s proven experience in Africa, coupled with its successful support of Airtel projects in India, reassures us of their capability to deliver dependable and scalable infrastructure across our markets.”
Karsten Winther, president of Vertiv for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), highlighted the longstanding relationship between Airtel and Vertiv, which spans nearly 30 years. “This new phase exemplifies the strength of merging local African support with cutting-edge international innovation,” he stated.
This partnership positions Vertiv as a pivotal collaborator in Nxtra’s multi-national expansion strategy, which will extend to Airtel Africa’s operations in countries like Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. Wojtek Piorko, Vertiv’s managing director for Africa, described the alliance as “a significant step forward in fortifying Africa’s digital infrastructure,” pointing to the continent’s rapidly expanding, data-intensive population as a key catalyst for growth.
The surge in data consumption across Africa, fueled by increased cloud adoption, fintech advancements, and the rise of AI-driven workloads, underpins Nxtra’s growth. In Nigeria alone, data traffic reached an unprecedented 1.1 million terabytes (1,100,000 TB) per month by mid-2025. This growth, propelled by cloud computing, video streaming, and enterprise digitalization, has driven substantial investments in the data centre industry, elevating the country’s total capacity to approximately 136.7 megawatts. Despite challenges such as escalating energy expenses and variable internet subscription rates, the demand for digital infrastructure continues to accelerate robustly.
The upcoming data centres, including a major facility planned in Nairobi that is expected to exceed the Nigerian project in size, are being designed to meet stringent global benchmarks for sustainability, security, and operational excellence.
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