Africa could become a global leader in sustainable digital infrastructure, according to industry executives who say the continent’s data-center growth aligns perfectly with renewable energy potential.
At the Hyperscalers Convergence Africa conference in Lagos, experts argued that Africa can build the next generation of AI and cloud infrastructure without repeating the carbon-heavy mistakes of older markets.
“Africa can lead by innovating in green energy as alternatives to gas,” said Karim Amer, head of IP Business for Nokia. “We can design smarter, cleaner systems from the start.”
Tola Talabi, chief executive officer, Electron Energy, said data centers are helping unlock investment in renewables. “Data centers are the most bankable customers for power projects,” he explained. “Their predictable consumption de-risks financing and makes clean energy viable at scale.”
Talabi’s firm is developing a 50-megawatt independent power project in Victoria Island designed to support commercial and digital customers. “Power isn’t the problem,” he said. “It’s transmission and liquidity – we need reforms that make renewable projects bankable.”
Wale Adeoti, head of Operations, Digital Realty Nigeria, said efficiency gains are also key. “By using variable-speed drives (VSDs) and better cooling containment, we can cut power use by up to 30 percent,” he said.
As hyperscalers demand green hosting options, several African markets are integrating renewables into data-center design. Morocco and Egypt are developing hundreds of megawatts of solar-backed capacity, while Kenya and Nigeria are piloting hybrid solar-gas systems.
“Green megawatts will define competitiveness,” Amer said. “Africa has the opportunity to build infrastructure that’s efficient, clean, and globally attractive.”
Hyperscalers Convergence Africa 2025 was convened by Africa Hyperscalers and sponsored by Nokia, Open Access Data Centres (OADC), IHS Towers, Vertiv, Equinix, and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
