Sanwo-Olu: Rack Centre LGS2 Facility Will Attract FDI, Create Jobs

Emma Okonji

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said the new Rack Centre LGS2 data centre facility, located in Ikeja, will attract local and international technology companies operating in Nigeria, to host their data in the facility, thereby creating jobs and boosting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for the country.

The governor said this Thursday during the inauguration of the facility, which has a total IT capacity of 12 megawatts, designed and built as one of Africa’s key data centre hubs.

The governor, who was represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr. Sam Egube, said the state-of-the-art data centre facility would also boost economic activities in the state.

According to Sanwo-Olu, “As we unveil this new facility, we are setting the stage for a wave of economic opportunities. The data centre industry is a catalyst for growth, creating jobs in various sectors from construction to IT services to financial services, among others. By investing in such advanced technology, we are attracting investors from across the globe that see Lagos, not just as a city, but as a hub of innovation and digital transformation.

“We have already seen partnerships with international tech companies that are leveraging available infrastructure to expand their operations in Africa. Moreover, the facility will enhance our capacity to manage big data, support cloud computing solutions, and provide essential services to businesses of all sizes. It will empower local enterprises and people to compete on a global scale, ensuring that they have the resources they need to thrive in today’s fast-paced digital landscape.”

“The facility will further create high-skilled jobs for our young people and position Lagos as the undisputed tech hub for Africa. The data centre will serve as a magnet, drawing in technology companies and fostering a vibrant ecosystem of innovation,” Sanwo-Olu further noted.

In his welcome address, Chairman, Rack Centre, Maher Jarmakani, said “With 126 million internet users in Nigeria, and with internet penetration rate of almost 60 per cent and climbing, Nigeria’s digital economy is no longer emerging, it is here. Nigeria’s data centre market is the largest in West Africa and still growing, and it is expected to worth over $250 million by the end of the year. As broadband penetration nears 50 per cent and data consumption grows exponentially, Nigeria’s data centres ensure businesses and innovation can scale without limits. From powering Nigeria’s stock exchange, enabling the fintech revolution, housing digital IT systems and tax-polling platforms for e-governance, and to enabling telemedicine and rural clinics, data centres provide a platform for the advancement of the Nigerian community.”

Speaking about the importance of the location of the data centre facility, Jarmakani said, “Today, Nigeria has about 16 data centres, of which 10 are located in Lagos State, and mainly concentrated in Leki corridors, Victorian Island and Eco Atlantic City. But Rack Centre data facility is the only hyper-scale date centre located on Lagos mainland. With its proximity to critical government apparatus, the facility provides the connectivity that allows the day-to-day communication with our cloud services.”

CEO of Rack Centre, Lars Johannisson, said the facility would offer100 per cent uptime that is unprecedented and un-comparable. According to him, the data centre facility is the largest in West Africa, built as a meeting point for business owners and entrepreneurs.

“The facility has efficient cooling system with improved energy efficiency and protected by 10 layers of security checks. It is a hyper-scale data centre with Artificial Intelligence (AI) ready features,” Johannisson said.