MTN Group to Build AI-Driven Data Centers Across Africa

MTN Global has announced a groundbreaking partnership to build AI-driven data centers across Africa, marking a transformative step in the continent's digital evolution. This strategic collaboration is expected to revolutionize Africa's cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital infrastructure ecosystem, positioning the region as a hub for innovation and sustainable growth.

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What MTN is actually building

While locations weren't disclosed, the company describes a continent-wide build-out to power AI services, with MTN acting both as developer and capacity aggregator. This dovetails with its internal Genova program and an AI Centre of Excellence (alongside a Cloud CoE) staffed by 300+ engineers to drive responsible AI and standardized deployments across markets.

What Driving Africa's Digital Transformation

MTN Group says it's negotiating with US and European partners to develop a network of AI-grade data centers across Africa that will supply compute for generative AI and other low-latency workloads. CEO Ralph Mupita outlined the plan in new interviews this week.

Africa is experiencing an unprecedented surge in internet usage, smartphone penetration, and demand for cloud-based services. With this partnership, MTN aims to provide cutting-edge AI data centers that will cater to enterprises, governments, and startups across multiple sectors including finance, healthcare, education, agriculture, and e-commerce.

These data centers will enhance data sovereignty, reduce dependency on foreign servers, and ensure faster, more secure, and reliable digital services. By establishing AI-powered infrastructure within Africa, MTN is bridging the digital divide and promoting digital inclusion for millions of people.

Proof of momentum: Lagos as a reference site

MTN Nigeria's Sifiso Dabengwa Data Centre in Ikeja, Lagos is a $240m, 9MW project built in two phases, with Phase 1 (4.5MW, Tier III) commissioned on July 1, 2025 alongside integrated cloud infrastructure; the build emphasizes data sovereignty and compliance with Nigeria's Data Protection Act through collaboration with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission.

Leadership Take: Africa's AI Inflection Point

MTN Group's plan to deploy AI-grade, sovereign data centers across Africa is a pivotal bet for the continent's digital economy. The model is clear: build regional edge sites, lease GPU capacity to governments, enterprises, and startups, and scale through the Genova program and AI/Cloud Centres of Excellence. With Lagos's Sifiso Dabengwa Data Centre as proof of execution, MTN can cut latency, strengthen data sovereignty, and spark sector-wide AI adoption, if it nails power economics, talent, open ecosystems, and the right US/EU partners.

Looking Ahead

The launch of MTN's AI data center project signals a new era for Africa's technological advancement. By investing in sustainable, secure, and scalable digital infrastructure, MTN is strengthening Africa's role in the global AI economy.

As the demand for AI-driven solutions continues to grow, MTN's initiative ensures that Africa is not just a consumer of technology but also a creator of innovation.

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