This reaffirmation came during the Sustainability Table Discourse Series (STS) themed “Sustainability in Action: Scaling the Impact of a Thriving Future to Achieve the SDGs,” where industry leaders, policy makers, and private sector players converged to discuss the role of collaboration, innovation, and circular economy models in achieving Nigeria’s sustainability goals.

Representing Kazeem Oladepo, senior vice president and chief operating officer, IHS Nigeria, Gimba Mohammed, director, of Government and External Relations, delivered the keynote address titled “Sustainability in Action: Scaling Impact for a Thriving Future Through Sustainable Telecommunications Infrastructure – A Provider’s Perspective.” 

In his remarks, he emphasized that sustainability remains central to IHS’s operations and long-term strategy.

 “Sustainability is at the heart of who we are. It is embedded within our corporate values and reflected in every aspect of our operations, from powering sites sustainably to nurturing the communities we serve and promoting sound ethical practices throughout our business,” he said.

He further highlighted Project Green, describing it as an IHS Group initiative and a key step in the company’s carbon reduction roadmap.

“Through Project Green, IHS Towers continues to prioritize alternative energy sources to reduce dependency on diesel. Across our markets, we have reduced diesel consumption by nearly 50 million litres, and in Nigeria fitted over 6,000 power sites with hybrid energy solutions, and connected almost 4,000 sites to the grid,” Gimba noted.

In addition to its clean energy initiatives, IHS Nigeria has made significant strides in community and environmental development. These include planting 4,000 trees across eight states, installing solar streetlights in underserved communities, and collaborating with Green Hope Africa to launch the Climate Action Superheroes (CASH) initiative, an educational program aimed at empowering students to become climate ambassadors.

The company’s efforts in e-waste management were also highlighted, following its partnership with the Electronic Producers Responsibility Organisation of Nigeria (EPRON).

“We trained 214 participants, including collectors and regulators, and supported the establishment of 69 waste collection centers across six states and the FCT. Our goal is to drive sustainable waste management practices through advocacy and strategic collaboration,” Gimba said.

During the panel session, Ghaith Al Hasan, Director, Engineering and Design, IHS Nigeria, elaborated on the success of Project Green and the importance of strong partnerships in achieving scale.

“Our experience has shown that the right partnerships, technologies, and maintenance structures are essential for sustainability. Today, IHS operates renewable energy systems across more than 10,000 sites in Nigeria, demonstrating what is possible when innovation meets commitment,” he stated.

Adding a regulatory perspective, Grace Majekodunmi, principal environmentalist scientist and Regulatory Specialist, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) spoke on the circular economy model being adopted across Nigeria’s manufacturing sectors.

“Producers must now take responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their products, from production to disposal. The Extended Producer Responsibility framework ensures that manufacturers adopt cleaner technologies and minimize waste,” she explained.

Representing the agricultural sector, Aisha Raheem-Bolarinwa, chief executive officer, Farmz2U discussed the role of technology and collaboration in building climate-resilient value chains.

“We don’t have a production problem as much as we have a distribution problem. Technology can enable resilience, but without hard infrastructure and supportive policy, farmers cannot access the full benefits,” she noted.

From a financing and investment standpoint, Adaobi Nnorukah, Investment director, ARM-Harith Infrastructure Limited, highlighted the importance of early engagement with equity partners to secure climate infrastructure funding.

“Successful climate projects require institutional investors at the table from the start. Early collaboration helps identify and manage risks, ensuring projects remain bankable and sustainable,” she said.

In concluding his keynote speech, Gimba reaffirmed IHS Nigeria’s ongoing commitment to sustainable growth and partnership.

“At IHS Nigeria, we are deliberate about scaling impact through sustainable infrastructure. Our mission is to ensure that our assets not only connect people digitally but also empower them environmentally, economically, and socially,” he concluded.

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This pivotal event aims to address the digital infrastructure gaps across the continent by uniting key stakeholders—including operators, regulators, investors, and service providers—to work toward a unified goal for Africa’s digital future.

The conference seeks to bring together Africa’s digital infrastructure community, fostering collaboration and innovation across sectors such as data centres, connectivity, cloud services, and more.

Confirmed attendees include senior and executive representatives from major organizations such as Meta Platforms, Cassava Technologies, Equinix, IHS Towers, Airtel, Apolo.io, Open Access Data Centres, MTN, Analyses Mason, Xalam Analytics, inq, Avanti Communications Plc., Digital Realty, Raxio Group, and various state governments.

The event will feature keynote presentations, panel sessions, and fireside chats on critical themes, including: “Satellite, Subsea, and Terrestrial: Africa’s Path to Seamless and Integrated Connectivity”; “Regulatory Frameworks for Fostering Digital Infrastructure Development in Africa”; “Data Center and Cloud in Africa: The Journey to 2500MW”; “Funding Africa’s Digital Infrastructure: What is the Right Mix?”, and “The Talent Gap: Developing Sustainable Digital Talent for Africa”, among others.

Speakers at the conference include Kazeem Oladepo, Chief Operating Officer (COO) at IHS Towers; Dr. Ayotunde Coker, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Open Access Data Centres; Wole Abu, CEO, Liquid Intelligent Technologies; Sade Dada, Public Policy Manager, Anglophone West Africa, Meta Platforms; Josephine Sarouk, Managing Director (MD), Bayobab; and Olatubosun Alake, Honorable Commissioner, Innovation, Science and Technology, Lagos State. Other speakers include Lanre Kolade, Chairman, ConnectedCompute; Ikechukwu Nnamani, CEO of Digital Realty Nigeria; Bill Kleyman, CEO of Apolo/Program Chair, AFCOM and Data Center World; Tony Izuagbe Emoekpere, President, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria; Dr. Krish Ranganath, Regional Executive- West Africa, Africa Data Centres; Wabo Majavu, Executive of Strategy and Business Operations at Africa Data Centre; Gbenga Adegbiji, CEO of Geniserve; Guy Zibi, Managing Partner of Xalam Analytics; Olusegun Maleghemi, CIO, Ouranos; Adewale Adeyemi, Head, Business Development; TeKnowledge; Adewole Adebisi, Head, Technical Operations, Raxio Group; Ifeanyi Akosionu, Managing Director, inq Digital; Dr. Hakeem Onasanya, Head, Startups (Lagos Innovates), LSETF; Olawale Owoeye, CEO, Cedarview Communications; Sameer Gupta, Principal, Analyses Mason; Femi Fajemirokun, Head, Information, Telecoms and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), West African Power Pool, and Reuben Oshomah, Regional Director, West and Central Africa, Avanti Communications Plc.

Ahead of the event, Kazeem Oladepo, Chief Operating Officer at IHS Towers, expressed enthusiasm: “The Hyperscalers Convergence Africa conference promises to be a valuable platform to discuss opportunities and address pressing challenges in the deployment of digital infrastructure. I believe this gathering will set the stage for new initiatives, partnerships, and solutions that will advance Africa’s digital transformation.”

Lanre Kolade, Chairman of ConnectedCompute and former Group Chief Executive Officer of CSquared, emphasized the role of innovation through partnerships: “We can build digital infrastructure expansion and resilience by collaborating and creating synergies to close infrastructure gaps and empower our digital economy with a pan-African collaboration.”

“As we grow Africa’s digital economy, the role of data centres becomes increasingly critical. At the Hyperscalers Convergence Africa conference, we have a unique opportunity to align our efforts and build out the infrastructure needed to support this growth.

“By aligning expanding carrier-neutral data centre capacity with robust pen access connectivity, we can unlock the potential for greater innovation and economic development and changing lives across the continent” commented Dr. Ayotunde Coker, Chief Executive Officer of Open Access Data Centres.

The Hyperscalers Convergence Africa conference represents a critical step in bridging the digital infrastructure gap across Africa.

By bringing together influential leaders and innovators, this event will foster collaboration and drive the necessary conversations and actions to shape Africa’s digital future.

The insights and partnerships forged at this conference will be instrumental in unlocking new opportunities for growth, innovation, and sustainability in Africa’s digital economy.

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