MTN Group, Africa’s largest telecom operator, is moving to expand the continent’s artificial intelligence infrastructure by building new data centers.
In an interview with Bloomberg, MTN Chief Executive Officer Ralph Mupita said the company is in talks with US and European partners to develop facilities that will supply AI computing power. The plan is to build centers, sign up tenants who need heavy computing for AI, and then rent out capacity to businesses and governments across Africa.
MTN has already started work on its first data center in Nigeria, with an estimated cost of $240 million. The project will be managed under a new unit called Genova, which is part of the group’s wider strategy to monetize its infrastructure and open its platforms to third parties.
Africa currently accounts for less than 1% of global AI data center capacity, despite having the world’s youngest and fastest-growing population. Most of the continent’s computing power is still concentrated in South Africa, where Microsoft, Amazon, and Alibaba already run cloud services.
Now, other players are also entering the space. Microsoft and G42 are building a geothermal-powered data center in Kenya, while Airtel Africa and Nxtra, backed by Indian billionaire Sunil Mittal, are planning new AI capacity in Nigeria.
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For MTN, the challenge is not only building the facilities but also ensuring steady and affordable power in markets where electricity remains unreliable. Mupita said the company is exploring options to secure reliable and efficient energy sources for its data centers.
