Airtel Africa Unveils Nxtra, a Data Center Revolution

Airtel Africa has introduced Nxtra by Airtel, a novel data center venture committed to addressing the increasing demand for reliable and sustainable data center capacity in Africa, thereby supporting the continent’s burgeoning digital economy. Nxtra aims to establish one of the largest networks of data centers in Africa, strategically positioning high-capacity facilities in key cities across Airtel Africa’s operational footprint, complementing existing edge sites.

The primary objective of Nxtra is to cater to the expanding needs of African enterprises, offering data center infrastructure designed for hosting the next generation of computing. The phased development will provide multi-megawatt capacity, adhering to rigorous global security standards and ensuring ‘five nines’ availability. Leveraging Airtel Africa’s extensive fiber network, Nxtra will provide secure and scalable integrated solutions to global hyperscalers, large African enterprises, startups, SMEs, and governments.

By offering locally available data center capacity, Nxtra aims to enhance the speed of access to digital services and reduce data management costs. This, in turn, facilitates increased innovation and supports the development of a new generation of African tech talent. Nxtra also plays a crucial role in helping customers meet data sovereignty requirements while simultaneously fostering the provision of more local cloud services in Airtel Africa’s operational countries.

The inaugural Nxtra facility, set to be operational in Lagos, Nigeria, is poised to deliver a total power of 34 MW. Engineered to host high-density racks, the facility incorporates cutting-edge construction practices to achieve a power usage effectiveness [PUE] of 1.3. Anticipated to be live by mid-2025, this facility represents the first step in realizing Nxtra’s vision.

To spearhead Nxtra’s vision, Airtel Africa has appointed Yashnath Issur, the former head of Global Data Centre Portfolio Management at Amazon Web Services, as the CEO of Nxtra by Airtel. With 16 years of industry experience, Yashnath has assembled a team of experts over the past year to execute the strategic vision of Nxtra.

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