“Ghana Plans Africa’s Largest Data Centre, Challenging Tech Supremacy of Nigeria and South Africa”

Ghana is set to push technological boundaries with a stirring announcement from its government. The African nation intends to construct what will stand as the most colossal data centre on the continent, rivaling Nigeria and South Africa’s current dominance in the tech sector.

As reported by BizTech Africa, the data centre will feature an impressive capacity of 500 rack space. Intended to serve both private and public institutions, this grand project forms part of the Ghanaian government’s larger pro-tech agenda. Typically, such massive-scale projects are orchestrated by private institutions for various reasons, including sustainability concerns. One critical query that arises is about the project’s future if a less tech-focused government comes into power, putting sensitive stored data at risk.

The current situation in Africa highlights an uneven spread of data centres. Nigeria and South Africa alone lay claim to nearly two-thirds of the total data centre space on the continent.

In Nigeria, the big tech players in MainOne, Galaxy, and MTN, alongside prominent telecom firms, have either constructed high-capacity data centres or are in the process of doing so. This seemingly attests to Africa’s growing appeal among investors keen on keeping their data within the continent.

Meanwhile, international tech giants like Apple and Facebook have signaled their intent to build new data centres aiming to run on renewable energy sources. Power remains a challenge in many African countries, with many locals relying on backup generators.

The impact of Ghana’s ambitious project will only be measurable over an extended period. Still, if successfully maintained in the long run, it holds the potential to significantly alter the continent’s tech landscape.