The Chief Executive Officer of Digital Realty Nigeria, Engr. Ikechukwu Nnamani has said that Nigeria currently has about 30 megawatts of data centre capacity, which is 5% of the needed capacity to sustain its digital economy drive.
Nnamani stated this in a chat with the media under the aegis of Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) in Lagos.
According to him, a report published some years back indicated that Nigeria, as of now, should have at least 600 megawatts of IT load, given the size of the economy, population, GDP, and what it should be as a truly digital economy.
“Today we have about 30 megawatts. So, you can see the percentage of what we have compared to what we need to have,” he said.
While noting that the IT load refers to capacity alone, he said the country is also far behind in terms of the number of data centres needed.
“We’ve made progress in building data centers, but it’s nowhere near enough. Cities like Toronto have over 30 data centers, while Nigeria is still lagging far behind. We’re just at the beginning stages of what needs to be done to achieve a truly digital economy,” Nnamani noted.
Speaking on the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Nigeria, Nnamani emphasised the need for the government to develop an ethical framework to avoid potential misuse.
Nnamani pointed out that while there are individuals creating ethical AI solutions, they are far outnumbered by those focusing on AI solely for profit, often overlooking ethical considerations. This, he noted, is a global issue, not just limited to Nigeria.
“Even in the U.S., there are significant efforts in Congress and the Executive branch to establish AI safety and best practices.
“The concern is that many are focused only on the value AI brings them, without considering its potential consequences. This is why ethical considerations must be at the forefront of AI development,” he stated.
“It’s not AI that takes jobs away; it’s a matter of people needing to retrain and learn how to use AI for better efficiency and cost-effectiveness,” he explained.
The Nigerian government through the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, has been encouraging Nigerians to embrace and develop AI through its various initiatives.
The Ministry recently released the country’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy document, which is currently being reviewed by MDAs, following which it would be adopted as a national policy to guide all government efforts in Al.