Airtel Africa to build data hub in Kenya after Nigeria project

Airtel Africa has announced plans to establish a data center in Nairobi, which will be its second facility on the continent after Nigeria, as part of its strategy to diversify its revenue streams.

The Nairobi data center will have a capacity of seven megawatts, following a larger 36-megawatt facility planned for Lagos, Nigeria. According to Airtel Africa’s CEO, Segun Ogunsanya, the company intends to start construction in Nigeria soon, with Kenya’s project following shortly after. Both data centers are expected to be operational by mid-2026, with the construction process taking approximately two years.

Speaking during a conference call on February 1, Ogunsanya described these data centers as key assets in Airtel Africa’s portfolio. He emphasized that they will be operated commercially and will serve sectors beyond telecommunications.

Airtel Africa aims to improve access to digital services and reduce data management costs by building local data center capacity. This initiative is expected to foster innovation and support the growth of tech talent across the continent.

This project is part of Airtel Africa’s broader strategy to diversify its income sources, moving beyond traditional communication services and mobile money operations. In December, the company launched Nxtra, its data hub business, designed to meet Africa’s increasing demand for reliable and sustainable data center capacity. Nxtra’s goal is to build a network of high-capacity data centers across key cities within Airtel’s operating regions.

In addition to the larger centers in Lagos and Nairobi, Ogunsanya revealed plans to establish smaller data centers at its mobile cable landing stations in countries such as Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Gabon.

Airtel has been increasing its investments in the Kenyan market, particularly in voice and mobile money services. The company has also expanded its 5G network, with the majority of its 5G sites located in Nigeria and Kenya, along with a presence in Zambia and Tanzania. In December, Airtel Kenya reported that it had 370 active 5G sites across 16 counties, with a network infrastructure covering 89% of the country’s 47 counties.

This expansion reflects Airtel’s ongoing commitment to enhancing digital infrastructure across Africa.