According to the Lagos State government, as of 2021, the investments in data centre facilities in the state have exceeded $1 billion. The governor of the state, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, announced this yesterday during the groundbreaking ceremony of Rack Centre's 12mw IT power capacity data centre facility. He noted that the widespread adoption of technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Blockchain, Software Defined Networks, and Smart cities have led to a surge in the utilization of IT infrastructure. This, he said, is a clear indication that "we are at a turning point in the way we conduct business."

The deputy governor of Lagos State, Obafemi Hamzat, representing Governor Sanwo-Olu, acknowledged that technology has transformed and continues to revolutionize industries and business models. He commended companies like Rack Centre for playing a key role in bringing about the future and making dreams a reality. He also praised Rack Centre's impressive track record of providing world-class service delivery.

The governor remarked that Rack Centre has established a strong and beneficial partnership with Lagos State. He stated that the groundbreaking ceremony is proof of the confidence and belief that both investors and the broader Lagos IT industry have in the company. The governor also noted that a significant expansion like this provides an opportunity not only for the growth of services but also for pushing the boundaries of technology.

Sanwo-Olu stated that investments in data centre infrastructure located in Lagos State experienced a growth of over $1 billion in 2021, which serves as proof of the conducive environment and captive market the state offers. He expressed confidence that future services from Rack Centre would have a ready market from both private and public sectors. He also mentioned that the state has various initiatives and programmes in place that would lead to the creation of one of the most technologically advanced cities in Africa.

Furthermore, by being carrier-neutral and having local interconnect ambitions, Rack Centre will reinforce Lagos' status as a hub for digital economy. This will encourage companies with foreign IT workloads and services to relocate their assets locally, thereby boosting Lagos' position in the global IT market.

The Group Chief Executive Officer of Rack Centre, Jasper Lankhorst, stated that the new facility would expand the company's capacity to cater to more clients in Nigeria, with a 12MW IT load compared to the LGS 1 facility, which has a 1.5MW IT load.

According to Lankhorst, Nigeria has the largest number of Internet subscribers in Africa and Europe, with approximately 85 million users. As the country also has the biggest population and GDP in Africa, it is an essential gateway for global telecommunications, content, and cloud companies who want to access the region. The new build is aimed at bringing applications and data closer to users, improving their experience by increasing the quality and speed of services.

Lankhorst further stated that the new facility, like the LGS 1 data centre, will offer a competitive advantage by being a Tier III Constructed Facility that provides 100% uptime with zero downtime and ten levels of physical security. This includes biometric identification, CCTV monitoring, and a 24/7 Command Centre, ensuring reliability for clients.

Lankhorst explained that at Rack Centre, they maintain complete Carrier and Cloud Neutrality, which implies that they have no affiliation or ownership with any telecommunications carrier, ISP, or managed service provider, and hence do not compete with them. This creates significant opportunities for their digital ecosystem partners to expand their businesses at Rack Centre. The company offers unrestricted interconnects between customers, allowing them to control traffic and obtain greater value, lower latency, and better resilience.

According to him, Rack Centre has over 60 carriers, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Cloud, and Content delivery networks, providing their customers with an extensive and unimpeded selection of services. The facility can be accessed via three different fibre routes, all of which include active undersea cables located along the Atlantic coast of Africa.