News Highlights:
- Africa’s digital economy growth depends on stronger cybersecurity, expanded data infrastructure, and reliable power to address rising cyber threats and scaling challenges.
- Industry leaders say digital twins, improved interconnectivity, and resilient energy systems are essential to optimising data centres and unlocking Africa’s multi-trillion-dollar digital potential.
Experts from government and the private sector have stressed that Africa’s digital economy can only achieve sustainable growth by effectively tackling escalating cyber threats, expanding critical data infrastructure, and overcoming persistent power and connectivity challenges.
They shared these insights at the IoT West Africa 2026 Conference and Data Centre Cloud Expo in Lagos.
Delivering the keynote address, the National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, cautioned that the continent’s rapid digital transformation is increasingly being accompanied by sophisticated cyber risks.
According to Olatunji, cyberattacks now occur globally every 39 seconds, with annual cybercrime-related losses estimated at $10.5 trillion.
He revealed that Nigeria experiences more than 4,000 cyberattacks each week, representing nearly 45 per cent of all cyber incidents recorded across Africa, while financial losses from cybercrime surpassed ₦12 billion in 2024.
Olatunji further noted that global data generation has surged to approximately 402.89 million terabytes per day and is projected to rise from 181 zettabytes to 221 zettabytes, underscoring the urgent need for stronger digital security frameworks and expanded infrastructure capacity.
“Data is now the new oil, driving everything from IoT to cloud services and digital platforms,” he said, adding that Nigeria’s digital economy is valued at 18.3 billion dollars and could double within five years.
Also, during a fireside chat with the theme “Role of Colocation in Enabling Africa’s Data Centre Transformation: Opportunities and Challenges,” industry leaders identified interconnectivity, power and affordability as critical to scaling the sector.
The Chief Executive Officer of Nxtra by Airtel, Mr Yashnath Issur, said Africa’s data centre market must be built to global standards. “This market is no longer local; it is a global business requiring global quality, scale and expertise,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer of Rack Centre, Mr Lars Johannisson, said energy remained the biggest constraint to growth. “Data centres are about power, cooling and people. Energy is the machine that will power our growth, and without fixing it, scaling will remain constrained,” he said.
The Managing Director of Equinix West Africa, Mr Wole Abu, stressed the need for interconnected ecosystems. “A data centre without interconnection is like a ship, but an interconnected one is a port that enables trade and economic growth,” he said.
Mr Akinsehinwa Akin-Taylor of African Infrastructure Investment Managers said while capital was available, investors were becoming more cautious, noting that “The focus is now on bankability, strong operating history and quality assets that can support long-term growth.”
Ifeanyi Otudoh of MTN, who said that Africa must build local capacity and ensure inclusive access, added: “We must put digital capability in the hands of African innovators and ensure secondary cities are not left behind.”
Gary Chomse of Vertiv added that power instability continues to shape data centre design across the continent, and warned that “We must design for resilience to withstand outages and still guarantee uptime.”
Meanwhile, during a panel session on “The Role of Digital Twins for Data Centre Optimisation in Nigeria,” industry experts highlighted the transformative potential of digital twin technology in enhancing operational efficiency, minimising system failures, and improving overall data centre performance.
Johnson Agogbua, Chief Executive Officer of Kasi Cloud, emphasised that digital twins could play a crucial role in power optimisation and predictive maintenance—two critical areas for Nigeria’s data infrastructure.
“The biggest headache in Nigeria is power,” Agogbua said. “Digital twins help you understand how power behaves and allow you to visualise problems before they occur.”
Echoing this view, Morris Nmor of Uptime Institute noted that widespread adoption of the technology could significantly reduce operational risks while accelerating efficiency gains.
“If adopted, failure and risk will reduce significantly, and efficiency levels can improve rapidly,” he said.
Riaan De Leeuw of Zutari added that digital twins could also address persistent cooling inefficiencies, a major challenge for data centres, while helping operators lower operational costs.
Kayode Akomolafe of Amazon Web Services underscored the technology’s strategic planning advantages, noting that it offers deeper operational intelligence for forecasting and long-term business optimisation.
“It provides granular data that allows operators to predict, plan, and even monetise their operations,” he said.
Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju of Galaxy Backbone further stressed that digital twin technology could strengthen both energy efficiency and cybersecurity.
“There is a lot of energy wastage, and this technology can help optimise usage while strengthening data protection,” he said.
Collectively, the panellists agreed that the future of Africa’s digital economy will depend heavily on integrating robust data infrastructure, reinforcing cybersecurity frameworks, and embracing emerging technologies such as digital twins to unlock the continent’s vast multi-trillion-dollar digital potential.
