Sanwo-Olu: Data Centre Operation Will Boost Digital Transformation

Emma Okonji

The Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has commended the rate at which data centres are springing up and expanding in the state, adding that the growth of data centres will boost technology development in the state and the country at large. 

Sanwo-Olu said this at the weekend at the groundbreaking ceremony for the commencement of the expanded data centre, operated by Rack Centre. 

The new data centre, known as LGS2, which is an expansion of the existing data centre, is expected to expand the capacity of Rack Centre ten folds and consolidate its leadership as the digital infrastructure hub in the sub-Saharan African region.

Rack Centre, an Actis majority-owned and West Africa’s best-connected Tier III Carrier and Cloud neutral data centre, has reached full capacity of its existing data centre and has commenced the construction of a new best-in-class data centre in Lagos, Nigeria.

According to Sanwo-Olu, “We are very excited to have this kind of key Information Technology (IT) infrastructure like the LGS 2 data centre by Rack Centre in Lagos as this is in line with the ‘Themes’ agenda of the state government to make Lagos a 21st Century economy.” 

The governor who was represented by his deputy, Mr. Obafemi Hamzat, commended the board and management of Rack Centre for the huge investment in the new data centre and for locating the project in Lagos State.

Hamzat explained that the importance of the data centre expansion project could not be overemphasised as a critical infrastructure that plays a vital role in Information technology, especially as it relates to the storage and security of data which is important to businesses and organisations. 

In his welcome address, the Group Chief Executive Officer, Rack Centre, Jasper Lankhorst, said the new build would enhance and broaden the capacity of the company to serve more clients in Nigeria with an IT load of 12MW as against the LGS 1 facility, which has an IT load of 1.5MW. 

“With about 85 million Internet subscribers, more than any country in Africa or Europe, and the largest population and GDP in Africa, Nigeria is a key entry point for global telecommunications, content, and cloud players seeking access to the region. We are embarking on this new build to bring applications and data closer to the user and improve the quality and speed of the user experience’’ Lankhorst said.

He explained that the new facility, just like LGS 1 data centre, would offer the unique competitive edge of reliability as a Tier III Constructed Facility offering 100 per cent uptime with zero downtime and 10 levels of physical security with biometric, CCTV monitoring, and 24/7 Command Centre.

“At Rack Centre, we are 100 per cent Carrier and Cloud Neutral, which means we are not owned or affiliated with any telecommunications carrier, Internet Service Provider (ISP) or managed service provider and do not compete, therefore offering great opportunities for all our digital ecosystem partners to grow their businesses at Rack Centre. We offer unrestricted interconnects between customers, as it allows them to manage traffic to get better value, lower latency, and higher resilience, Lankhorst said. 

He revealed that Rack Centre, with over 60 carriers, ISPs, Cloud and Content delivery networks, offers a wide and unrestricted choice of services for its customers. 

Lankhorst also disclosed that Rack Centre would be developing one of the most efficient and sustainable data centres in Lagos, Nigeria, and across sub-Saharan Africa in line with its sustainability strategy. The company, according to him, is switching its power source from diesel to gas not only to reduce carbon footprint but also to reduce environmental impact and align with the global sustainability data centre design trend. 

“Rack Centre is forecasted to be 35 per cent more energy-efficient than other regional data centres, and 16 per cent more energy-efficient than the global average. It will reduce water consumption by 41 per cent, and there will be a 45 per cent saving in embodied energy in materials used,” he added. 

The Chief Operating Officer at Rack Centre, Mr. Ezekiel Egboye, said Rack Centre had never experienced any downtime in its operation pointing out  that the new data centre would afford the company the opportunity to serve its customers better. 

Rack Centre is the first connected Tier III Carrier and Cloud neutral Constructed Facility Certified data centre in Africa that focuses solely on providing best-in-class data centre colocation services and interconnection between carriers and customers.