Nigeria is facing a severe infrastructure crisis at the heart of its digital economy, the country currently operates no data centres specifically designed for core Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications, despite hosting over 300 active AI firms, reports ITREALMS.
This shocking revelation and assessment of Nigeria’s technological readiness were delivered by Engr. Ikechukwu Nnamani, Chief Executive Officer of Digital Realty Nigeria, at the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) Breakfast with CEOs in Lagos.
Engr. Nnamani stressed that while AI is undoubtedly driving the next phase of global digital evolution, Nigeria's existing data centre facilities are critically unprepared for the technology's intensive demands.
“There’s no data centre in Nigeria that is AI ready. None,” he stated, confirming that the high-density computing needs of AI, which require advanced cooling techniques like liquid cooling, are simply not supported by the nation’s current infrastructure.
This capacity deficit forces local AI companies to rely heavily on foreign resources, hindering indigenous innovation and compromising data sovereignty.
To highlight the severity of the deficit, Nnamani used Digital Realty's regional operations as a benchmark. He cited Teraco, its South African subsidiary, which operates Africa’s largest data centre facility and has already implemented liquid-cooled, AI-ready infrastructure.
Nnamani revealed that a single Teraco site in South Africa exceeds the combined capacity of all currently operational Nigerian data centres.
On a national level, he noted that Nigeria lags significantly behind cities such as Toronto, London, and even African hubs like Cape Town. He insisted that the true measure of Nigeria’s capacity must be based on the “active IT load,” which typically registers between a mere one and two megawatts, despite larger design claims.
The CEO projected that the entry of global players like Digital Realty might see AI-enabled infrastructure emerge within the next two to three years.
He noted that the substantial investment required, estimated at between $10 and $15 million per megawatt for construction, remains a major barrier for local development efforts.
Engr. Nnamani stressed that while AI is undoubtedly driving the next phase of global digital evolution, Nigeria's existing data centre facilities are critically unprepared for the technology's intensive demands.
“There’s no data centre in Nigeria that is AI ready. None,” he stated, confirming that the high-density computing needs of AI, which require advanced cooling techniques like liquid cooling, are simply not supported by the nation’s current infrastructure.
This capacity deficit forces local AI companies to rely heavily on foreign resources, hindering indigenous innovation and compromising data sovereignty.
To highlight the severity of the deficit, Nnamani used Digital Realty's regional operations as a benchmark. He cited Teraco, its South African subsidiary, which operates Africa’s largest data centre facility and has already implemented liquid-cooled, AI-ready infrastructure.
On a national level, he noted that Nigeria lags significantly behind cities such as Toronto, London, and even African hubs like Cape Town. He insisted that the true measure of Nigeria’s capacity must be based on the “active IT load,” which typically registers between a mere one and two megawatts, despite larger design claims.
The CEO projected that the entry of global players like Digital Realty might see AI-enabled infrastructure emerge within the next two to three years.
He noted that the substantial investment required, estimated at between $10 and $15 million per megawatt for construction, remains a major barrier for local development efforts.
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