Meta is strengthening its push into Africa’s digital infrastructure, backing new data centers and subsea cables to expand internet access and support the continent’s fast-growing online population.
Meta’s Edge Strategy Manager, Ben Ryall, shared this in Lagos at the weekend during the launch of Digital Realty’s third Lagos data center (LKK2), noting that reliable connectivity is essential to unlocking economic growth, financial inclusion, and social development across Africa.
LKK2, located in Lekki, adds nearly 2MW of installed IT capacity across 13,000 square feet of space and connects with the LKK1 facility, home to the 2Africa subsea cable landing station.
This interconnection gives businesses access to more than 46 landing points across 33 countries in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, making Nigeria a hub for international connectivity.
“Connectivity is no longer a luxury. As people get used to faster speeds and richer experiences, the demand for reliable infrastructure will only intensify,” Ryall said.
He noted that Meta’s investment in the 2Africa subsea cable alongside growing partnerships with operators and internet exchanges aims to provide Africans with the same quality of experience as users in developed markets.
Scaling Africa’s connectivity
With Africa’s population projected to hit 2.1 billion by 2050, Meta sees its youthful demographic as both a challenge and an opportunity.
Ryall described Sub-Saharan Africa as “the last continent” in the global effort to connect the unconnected, highlighting the rise of mobile money as a major outcome of improved internet penetration.
- He argued that continued investment in data centers and resilient digital infrastructure will be critical to sustaining this growth.
- Meta’s 2Africa cable, which lands in multiple Nigerian cities, is designed to reduce reliance on single cable systems, improve redundancy, and scale up internet capacity.
- Ryall said the project, combined with new data centers like LKK2, will create a stronger digital backbone for services ranging from online education and telemedicine to e-commerce and social networking.
Ryall stressed that Meta’s infrastructure play goes beyond Nigeria, with plans to expand in Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and other underserved markets.
“Our goal is to build open, sustainable, and resilient digital infrastructure that unlocks Africa’s potential,” he said.
Digital Realty’s expansion
The launch of LKK2 also marks a significant step for Digital Realty in Africa. The facility integrates with ServiceFabric, the company’s global interconnection and orchestration platform, linking with LOS1, the region’s largest internet peering point, and LOS2, its highly connected Victoria Island data center.
Together, these assets will deliver resilience, redundancy, and low-latency connectivity for enterprises expanding in Nigeria’s digital market.
“LKK2 is a significant milestone in our journey to support digital transformation in Africa. Our continued investment in Nigeria and the broader African region reinforces our commitment to enabling seamless global interconnectivity and providing a future-ready infrastructure platform,” said Managing Director of Digital Realty in Nigeria, Ikechukwu Nnamani.
What you should know
First announced in 2020, the 45,000 km 2Africa undersea cable is touted as the world’s largest undersea cable. The deep-sea cable project encircles Africa and has two points of landing in Nigeria, Lagos and Kwa Ibo, a river town in Nigeria’s southeast.
The cable is owned by a group of eight international partners including Meta, Bayobab, China Mobile International, MTN GlobalConnect (now Bayobab), Orange, stc (center3), Telecom Egypt, Vodafone, and WIOCC.
