The highly coveted certification came from the Uptime Institute.

Launched in July, the MTN Dabengwa Data Centre is Nigeria’s largest prefabricated modular data facility, built using 96 prefabricated containers in Phase 1.

Designed with future-readiness in mind, the Centre integrates AI-driven energy optimisation and robust hybrid cloud capabilities, ensuring high performance and flexibility for enterprise clients.

This latest certification follows the earlier attainment of the Tier III Certification for Design Documentation (TCDD), positioning the Dabengwa Data Centre as one of only FOUR facilities in Nigeria to hold this prestigious recognition.

Tier III Certification is a globally recognised benchmark for data centre reliability and performance. It ensures multiple independent paths for power and cooling, allowing for routine maintenance without service disruption.

With an expected availability of 99.982%, Tier III facilities are designed to deliver a maximum of just 1.6 hours of downtime per year, making them highly resilient for critical operations.

Speaking on the achievement, Dr. Karl Toriola, chief executive officer of MTN Nigeria, said:

“This certification is a testament to the hard work, strategic focus, and collaboration across our teams and partners, in line with global best practices. It reflects our commitment to building top-tier infrastructure that supports Nigeria’s digital future; and we will uphold the same high standards of quality, resilience and compliance, to deliver even greater value to our stakeholders.”

As the first of MTN Nigeria’s technical facilities to receive this certification, the Dabengwa Data Centre represents a major step forward in the company’s infrastructure strategy, enhancing reliability, supporting business continuity, and strengthening its enterprise market positioning.

This milestone also reaffirms MTN’s commitment to its Ambition 2025 Strategy, which prioritises resilient digital infrastructure as a foundation for Nigeria’s growing digital economy.

With this achievement, MTN Nigeria continues to lead the way in building infrastructure that empowers businesses, enables innovation, and drives inclusive digital transformation across the country.

MTN Nigeria remains focused on expanding its digital capabilities, investing in future-ready infrastructure, and delivering solutions that meet the evolving needs of its customers and enterprise partners.

confirming this development to Techeconomy, Mr. Chidi Okpala, head, Corporate Communications at Galaxy Backbone, said that the globally recognized certification, underscores GBB’s unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional digital infrastructure services that adhere to the highest global standards of availability, resilience, and reliability.

“As Nigeria’s foremost digital infrastructure and ICT service provider, Galaxy Backbone remains steadfast in its mission to provide innovative Cloud, Colocation, Connectivity, and Cybersecurity solutions to meet the dynamic needs of organizations in both public and private sectors”, Okpala said.

The Tier III Certification is a testament to the company’s dedication to building a world-class digital ecosystem that supports its clients’ evolving demands while maintaining uncompromising operational efficiency.

The Uptime Institute Tier III Certification represents a benchmark for operational excellence and reliability.

“The certification guarantees an infrastructure built to withstand unexpected disruptions, including natural disasters, cyberattacks, and emergencies.

“This ensures uninterrupted business operations for our customers and aligns with our commitment to delivering reliable services that safeguard our clients’ critical data and digital assets”, he added.

This achievement adds to Galaxy Backbone’s portfolio of certifications, which already includes ISO 20000(Service Management Systems), ISO 2700l(Information Security Management Systems(ISMS), ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management), PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) and ISO 22301:2019 (Business Continuity Management).

These milestones highlight our unwavering commitment to operational excellence, continuous improvement, maintaining international standards and client satisfaction. With each certification, Galaxy Backbone solidifies its position as a trailblazer in ICT solutions and a key enabler of Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.

As Galaxy Backbone celebrates this significant milestone in addition to Galaxy Backbone existing  Tier-IV Data Center TCCF (Tier-IV Certification of Constructed Facility), we reaffirm our commitment to fostering sustainable partnerships with stakeholders while expanding our fibre-optic network to reach more cities and underserved communities across Nigeria.

“This expansion will create a stronger and more inclusive digital ecosystem, empowering organizations of all sizes to achieve their goals with confidence.

“Together, we will continue to set new benchmarks in innovation, service delivery, and infrastructure development, positioning Nigeria as a leading player in the global digital economy”, Okpala told Techeconomy.

Galaxy Backbone (GBB) Limited is Nigeria’s premier Digital transformation Company and foremost provider of shared ICT infrastructure and digital services.

The organization is committed is to driving digital inclusion and enabling digital services across the nation.

At its core, GBB serves as the digital backbone of the Federal Government, providing secure, reliable ICT infrastructure and services with a robust National ICT Infrastructure spanning over 5,000km of fibre-optic cables in 28 states of the federations.

[Featured Photo Credit: X/@musingsofenigma]

• OADC Texaf Digital – Kinshasa is the DRC’s first live Uptime Institute Tier-III certified open-access colocation data centre
• OADC Texaf Digital – Kinshasa an essential building block of DRC’s expanding digital ecosystem
• Multiple sectors of DRC economy will benefit from accelerated digitalisation

The first phase of OADC Texaf Digital – Kinshasa, a joint venture between Open Access Data Centres (OADC) and TEXAF, is now live, Techeconomy can report.

OADC Texaf Digital is establishing a vibrant digital ecosystem supporting Internet Exchanges, content providers, cloud operators, carriers, telcos and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in offering a wide range of digital products and services to business and domestic customers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The 2MW-capable facility is the DRC’s first live open-access, carrier-neutral and Uptime Institute Tier-III certified data centre, with ISO27001 post live certification on track for Q3 2024.

Clients are already establishing and installing in the facility and all major fibre network providers are present to provide vibrant interconnect to tenants.

The facility offers integrated core digital infrastructure solutions comprising tailored colocation services together with a wide range of reliable connectivity and peering options.

Power to the data centre is fed from utility sourced from hydro generation ensuring environmentally sustainable power generation in tandem with low Power Utilisation Effectiveness (PUE).

The facility underpins and is accelerating the country’s digitalisation and ICT capabilities, enabling clients to cost-effectively, flexibly and securely grow their operations within the DRC.

With a population of more than 16 million, Kinshasa is at the epicentre of demand for digital connectivity services within the DRC and the region.

OADC Texaf Digital – Kinshasa, located within TEXAF’s SILIKIN VILLAGE digital hub, is operated by the award-winning WIOCC Group company OADC, Africa’s fastest-growing data centre company.

Configured with 1,500 square metres of IT white space to accommodate more than 550 racks, it delivers colocation, interconnect and peering services to support the colocation needs of enterprise clients, content distribution networks, local and international cloud providers.

This enables them to improve efficiency, expedite digitisation initiatives, and more effectively service business and customer needs.

This infrastructure, with its white space architecture and the interconnect and peering ecosystem, is ideally suited to the large international Content Distribution Networks, global content companies and cloud providers that will be able to invest in the DRC.

Mohammed Bouhelal, managing director of OADC Texaf DRC, commented:

“OADC Texaf Digital – Kinshasa is central to boosting many sectors of the DRC’s economy, creating rich and vibrant digital ecosystems, and providing content distribution networks and cloud content providers with access to a quality peering location in the country.”

He added:

“We already have over 12 leading national and international carriers connected, with the banking sector being the leading adopter of OADC Texaf Digital – Kinshasa solutions. The open-access, carrier-neutral facility is set to transform the country’s digital infrastructure by creating a comprehensive, vibrant interconnection and peering ecosystem involving multiple carriers, ISPs, content providers and Internet Exchanges.”

The facility embodies carrier-neutral principles, maximising interconnection opportunities for all clients.

Increased competition and improved operator cost-efficiencies will contribute to the expected decrease in the cost of internet connectivity for the Congolese people and companies, serving as a major enabler for expansion of the DRC’s digital ecosystem.

It will not only offer businesses a viable alternative to self-build and self-manage data centre facilities, with all the benefits of dedicated resource, expertise, management time and costs that come with that, but also support the cloud infrastructure and content needs of a wide range of businesses and enterprises.

Carriers will benefit too, as OADC Texaf Digital – Kinshasa offers them both additional connectivity revenue opportunities and the opportunity to extend their service portfolios to include managed colocation services.

OADC and TEXAF have partnered in creating this essential building block of the DRC’s digital transformation.

This fully validates TEXAF’s strategy of attracting international industry leaders such as OADC into the country and specifically into the new SILIKIN VILLAGE digital hub.

Christophe Evers, chairman of OADC Texaf’s board of directors, said,

“Establishing a strategic partnership to build a data centre in the DRC is crucial for driving digital transformation and economic growth in the region.

By leveraging the joint strengths and expertise of OADC and TEXAF, we are not only enhancing digital connectivity and infrastructure but also creating opportunities for businesses to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

This collaboration underscores our commitment to delivering world-class data centre services that meet the growing demands of enterprises and support the broader objectives of economic development in the DRC. It is a cornerstone of the DRC’s National Digital Plan announced by the President of the Republic.”

This prestigious certification recognizes Galaxy Backbone’s commitment to delivering the highest standards of reliability, security, and operational excellence in its Cloud and Data Centre operations.

The Tier IV certification is the maximum level of Data Centre certification offered by Uptime Institute, signifying a facility that offers 99.995% availability.

It affirms that the Galaxy Backbone Data Centre meets stringent criteria for fault tolerance, redundancy, and robust operational processes, enhanced security and providing unparalleled service to its clients.

Key Highlights of Galaxy Backbone’s Tier IV Data Centre:

• Fault Tolerance: The Data Centre is designed to withstand multiple equipment failures and maintain continuous operations, ensuring maximum uptime for critical applications.
• Redundancy: Complete redundancy in power, cooling, and network systems, ensuring no single point of failure can disrupt services.
• 24/7 Monitoring and Management: Advanced monitoring systems and a dedicated team of experts provide round-the-clock surveillance and management of the facility.
• Enhanced Security: State-of-the-art security measures, including biometric access controls, surveillance systems, and multi-layered security protocols, protect the integrity and confidentiality of client data.
• Sustainable Practices: Commitment to sustainable practices, including energy-efficient technologies and environmentally friendly operations, aligning with global sustainability goals.

Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju, the managing director/CEO of Galaxy Backbone, commented on this significant achievement:

“Achieving this Tier IV certification from Uptime Institute is a testament to our unwavering dedication to excellence in Cloud, Data Centre & Business Continuity services. This certification not only reinforces our position as a leader in digital transformation services, but also assures our clients that they can rely on us for the highest levels of service availability and security. We remain committed to driving innovation and delivering world-class services to support the digital transformation of Nigeria and beyond.”

This certification thus, compliments its already existing Tier III Uptime certified Data Centre in Abuja and presents a critical milestone for Galaxy Backbone as it continues to expand its services and capabilities to meet the growing demand for reliable and secure digital infrastructure services.

This also strengthens GBB’s drive and commitment around data sovereignty, which encourages public and private organisations to host and collocate its IT applications within the country. This recent achievement further positions Galaxy Backbone as a preferred partner for organisations seeking robust and resilient data centre solutions.

Galaxy Backbone is a transformation enabler, a platform and aggregator of digital services for effective delivery across public and private sector organisations.

Beyond its world class data centres, Galaxy Backbone has connected about 30 states with its fibre optic cables providing secure, high-speed connectivity to and between organisations.

Its Security Operations Centre (SOC), ensure the provision of secure digital services across its stakeholders and customers.

Key point:

• In this classification, Tier-III design certification signifies that OADC Texaf Kinshasa has been designed to ensure high availability and redundancy, with multiple distribution paths for power and cooling, as well as concurrently maintainable infrastructure.

Scheduled to go live in Q3 2024, the 2MW-capable hyperscale core facility will feature an initial 400 square meters of IT white space, power security, open-access connectivity and guaranteed uptime.

It will offer colocation and other value-added data centre services to support the cloud infrastructure needs of a wide range of businesses and enterprises.

This development will accelerate the country’s digitalisation, benefiting multiple sectors of the DRC’s economy.

OADC Texaf Kinshasa is set to expand to 1,000 square meters of white space, ultimately accommodating more than 550 racks.

Located adjacent to major fibre routes and offering connectivity through a variety of onsite providers, the open-access facility allows clients to connect easily to their preferred provider.

Mohammed Bouhelal, managing director of the OADC Texaf operation in the DRC commented,

“This certification reflects our dedication to meeting and exceeding international standards in data centre operations. It reaffirms our commitment to deliver the highest level of reliability and uptime, suitable for mission-critical applications and services needed to expedite further development of the DRC’s ICT capabilities.”

OADC Texaf Kinshasa has successfully secured ten leading national and international carriers in its Meet Me Room (MMR), with the banking sector also adopting OADC Texaf solutions.

This achievement supports its mission to develop a rich and dynamic digital ecosystem, providing content distribution networks, cloud content providers and enterprises with access to a high-quality peering and colocation services location in the country.

Mr. Bouhelal adds,

“OADC Texaf Kinshasa is not just a data centre; it is a comprehensive, vibrant interconnected digital ecosystem and a strategic partner for clients seeking reliable, secure and sustainable infrastructure and connectivity solutions. We remain committed to providing our clients with services to support their business growth and success.”

OADC and TEXAF have partnered in the creation of this essential building block of the digital ecosystem in the DRC.

This fully validates TEXAF’s strategy of attracting international industry leaders such as OADC to the country and specifically into the new SILIKIN VILLAGE digital hub.

Christophe Evers, the chairman, said,

“OADC Texaf Kinshasa will boost multiple sectors of DRC’s economy. The facility embodies carrier-neutral principles, maximising interconnection opportunities for all clients. Increased competition and improved operator cost-efficiencies will contribute to the expected decrease in cost of internet connectivity for the Congolese people and companies. It will be major enabler for the emergence and enhancement of the DRC’s digital ecosystem.”

This marks a significant milestone in the company’s mission to sustainably establish and operate world-class, client-centric data centre facilities in South Africa and across the continent.

Dr Ayotunde Coker, CEO of OADC, commented,

“This certification reflects our dedication to meeting and exceeding international standards in data centre operations. It reaffirms our commitment to deliver the highest level of reliability and uptime, suitable for mission-critical applications and services.”

Tier-III design certification signifies that OADC Isando has been designed to ensure high availability and redundancy, with multiple distribution paths for power and cooling, as well as concurrently maintainable infrastructure.

Representing the Uptime Institute, Tarik Bahanniss, vice president, Africa, stated,

“We are pleased to award OADC Isando with the Tier III Certification of Design Documents, the first step toward the important Tier Certification of Constructed Facility award.  This certification reflects OADC’s dedication to global standards, beginning with the first set of design documents criteria set forth by Uptime Institute.”

Spanning over 3,000m² of technical space with a site load of 12MW, OADC Isando has emerged as a formidable hub offering scalable solutions tailored to meet the evolving needs and performance requirements of clients.

As a truly open-access and carrier-neutral facility, strategically located adjacent to major fibre routes, it provides a gateway to an extensive selection of onsite providers and metro connectivity to key data centres in the Johannesburg area.

“OADC Isando is not just a data centre; it is a comprehensive, vibrant interconnected digital ecosystem and a strategic partner for clients seeking reliable, secure and sustainable infrastructure and connectivity solutions,” added Dr Coker. “We remain committed to providing our clients with services to support their business growth and success.”

Digital Infrastructure South Africa

OADC provides a unique core-to-edge proposition within South Africa, with four Tier-III facilities and 30 edge data centres.

Its facilities provide open-access to over 20,000km of terrestrial fibre, 16 terabits-per-second (Tbps) capable national and metro networks, and to the eight subsea systems connecting South Africa over multiple routes to Europe and Asia.

This extends data storage, processing and content delivery to the network edge, supports improved application performance and allows critical data to be processed locally.

The edge data centres are located within major business and connectivity hubs. They are carrier-neutral and open-access.

With the best power rates in the industry, OADC is the fastest-growing data centre company in Africa.