WIOCC secures $300 million from AFC, Vision Invest to expand Africa’s digital infrastructure

WIOCC Group, a pan African carrier neutral digital infrastructure platform, has secured a combined $300 million investment from the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and Vision International Investment Company (Vision Invest) to accelerate its expansion across the continent.

The investment follows the signing of a Shareholder Subscription Agreement (SSA) between WIOCC and the two investors at the LEAP 2026 Global Technology exhibition in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.

WIOCC is the parent company of Open Access Data Centre (OADC) a leading data centre operator in Nigeria.

What they are saying

WIOCC said the funding will support its long-term strategy to develop and operate open access digital infrastructure across Africa, including data centres, terrestrial fibre networks and subsea cable assets.

Group Chief Executive Officer of WIOCC Group, Chris Wood, said the investment would enable the company to accelerate its infrastructure development programme.

• “Africa is uniquely positioned to capitalise on the next phase of global digital growth. As demand for cloud, AI and digital services accelerates, robust and scalable infrastructure will be essential to unlocking the continent’s potential,” Wood said.

He said the funding would support the acceleration of data centre deployment and consolidation, expansion of WIOCC’s open access terrestrial fibre footprint and strategic investments in new subsea assets.

Commenting on the investment, President and Chief Executive Officer of AFC, Samaila Zubairu, said digital infrastructure had become as important to economic development as transport and energy infrastructure.

• “The Africa we build must be connected, competitive and equipped to create value from the digital economy, not only consume it,” Zubairu said.

He said fibre networks, data centres and subsea cables are now critical infrastructure for economic growth, innovation and the development of AI capabilities.

• “Our investment in WIOCC will expand the open access digital backbone African businesses and communities need to integrate, innovate and compete globally,” he added.

President and Chief Executive Officer of Vision Invest, Omar N. Al Midani, said the company was partnering with AFC, WIOCC and its existing shareholders to support the next phase of the company’s expansion.

Get up to speed

The investment comes as demand for data, cloud computing and artificial intelligence services continues to rise across Africa, while the continent continues to face significant gaps in digital infrastructure.

Nairametrics earlier reported that Africa’s data centre market has been projected to expand rapidly in the coming years, requiring between $10 billion and $20 billion in fresh investment as demand for computing capacity surges.

• Global real estate consultancy and property investment advisory firm, Knight Frank, made the projection in its Africa Report 2026/27, which examines real estate markets, investment trends, and emerging opportunities across the continent.
• The consultancy said the expansion is being driven by the rapid growth of cloud services, artificial intelligence, and other data-intensive digital services across African markets.
• Meanwhile, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) recently said that only 35.7% of Africa’s population used the internet in 2025, compared with a global average of 73.6%.

WIOCC said the gap highlights both the infrastructure deficit and growth opportunity across African markets, particularly as businesses and consumers increasingly rely on cloud services, digital platforms and AI enabled applications.

What you should know

WIOCC currently operates in more than 30 African countries and has developed an open access digital infrastructure platform serving telecommunications operators, businesses and other customers across the continent.

Last year, WIOCC’s subsidiary, Open Access Data Centres (OADC) launched a new platform in Nigeria aimed at improving access to cloud services and addressing connectivity challenges across Africa.

OADC Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Ayotunde Coker, at the time, said the company had invested more than $500 million in digital infrastructure In Nigeria including data centres and cloud facilities, over a last eight years.