MTN Nigeria, in partnership with Dell Technologies, has officially launched the Dabengwa Data Centre in Lagos, now the largest prefabricated modular data centre in West Africa, marking a major milestone in Nigeria’s digital infrastructure advancement.

The state-of-the-art facility comprises 96 prefabricated containers in its first phase and is designed to provide high-performance cloud computing, secure data storage, and enterprise-grade digital solutions to businesses across the region.

Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, described the centre as “excellent”, calling it part of the “digital foundation of Nigeria’s modern economy.” He emphasised that keeping data within Nigeria strengthens sovereignty and curbs capital flight, saying, “The MTN Data centre is part of the digital foundation of Nigeria’s modern economy that we seek – one that provides, and will continue to provide world class reliability, so that we can keep our money local. We don’t have to ship it out in dollars.”

The facility’s AI-driven energy optimisation and hybrid cloud capabilities are expected to improve energy efficiency and performance while reducing environmental impact. It is designed to align with local regulatory requirements, especially around data localisation, as defined by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by Secretary to the State Government Barrister Abimbola Salu-Hundeyin, praised the investment for its capacity to drive youth empowerment and economic growth:

“Investments like this one that we’re here to launch offer a platform for our young people to be able to thrive. Enterprise-grade infrastructure on our own soil, giving start-ups, developers, and data creators the ability to build and scale from Nigeria to the world. With this facility, MTN is reinforcing Nigeria’s position as the digital backbone of West Africa,” she said.

Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, represented by Engr. Babagaba Digima, stated, “Investments like this one that we’re here to launch offer a platform for our young people to be able to thrive. Enterprise-grade infrastructure on our own soil, giving start-ups, developers, and data creators the ability to build and scale from Nigeria to the world. With this facility, MTN is reinforcing Nigeria’s position as the digital backbone of West Africa.”

The facility’s unveiling also comes amid Nigeria’s growing data centre market, projected to expand from 136.7 MW in 2025 to 279.4 MW by 2030, with over $630 million in investment already committed.

MTN Nigeria Chairman, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, hailed the achievement: “Setting up infrastructure of this size is not an easy task. I thank those who have worked tirelessly to make it happen.”

Dr. Karl Toriola, CEO of MTN Nigeria, described the centre as more than just a building as he said, “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.”

Costing around $150 million, the Dabengwa Data Centre also supports the newly launched MTN Cloud, aimed at empowering Nigerian businesses with secure, locally hosted cloud services. According to Lynda Saint-Nwafor, MTN’s Chief Enterprise Business Officer, the innovation has launched Nigeria into a new tech era.

She said, “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,”

The facility is expected to help international cloud service providers meet Nigeria’s data localisation laws, particularly for sectors such as healthcare, finance, and governance. It positions Nigeria to become a major regional hub for digital services, strengthening both data sovereignty and investor confidence.

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