Vertiv has announced a collaboration with Airtel Africa’s data centre division, Nxtra, to support its large-scale data centre rollout across the continent. It will start with a 42MW facility in Nigeria.
The partnership was announced at GITEX Global 2025 in Dubai. This marks the first step in Nxtra’s broader strategy to build one of the largest networks of high-capacity data centres across Africa’s key cities.
“Nxtra has been a valued customer for nearly three decades,” said Karsten Winther, President of Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) at Vertiv. “This next chapter demonstrates the power of combining local support in Africa with international manufacturing and innovation.”
The Nigerian data centre is expected to be completed by 2028. It will be developed in four phases, offering high-capacity, energy-efficient, and scalable infrastructure to meet Africa’s growing data needs.
Vertiv will supply thermal management systems, UPS solutions with batteries, and handle commissioning, handover, and five years of maintenance through its established Nigerian service team.
This setup ensures Nxtra’s facilities have the operational resilience required to support the continent’s expanding digital economy.
“As we invest into high-quality, high-capacity data centres for Africa, it was crucial to partner with a vendor who combines global capabilities with strong local presence,” said Yash Issur, CEO of Nxtra by Airtel Africa. “Vertiv’s extensive multinational expertise, coupled with their established service team in Africa, gives us the reliability and support we need.”
Africa’s fast-growing digital ecosystem, driven by increased connectivity, cloud adoption, and streaming demand, has accelerated the need for robust, localised data storage infrastructure.
“Africa’s growing, data-hungry population is a key driver of digital growth on the continent,” said Wojtek Piorko, Managing Director for Africa at Vertiv. “Our collaboration with Nxtra marks an important milestone in strengthening Africa’s digital backbone.”
Beyond Nigeria, Vertiv and Nxtra are already planning additional projects across Airtel Africa’s footprint, with a Nairobi-based site expected to surpass the Nigerian facility in capacity once completed.
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