Stable power critical to Nigeria’s local data hosting ambition -Zinox Chairman
Lagos, July 2026 (TBL AFRICA) Chairman of Zinox Group, Leo Stan Ekeh, says reliable electricity supply remains critical to achieving Nigeria’s ambition of becoming a hub for local data hosting and Artificial Intelligence (AI) data centres.
Ekeh said this during an online media engagement with journalists on Sunday.
He said while the Federal Government’s push to promote local data hosting and indigenous data centres was a welcome development with long-term benefits for the country’s digital economy, addressing infrastructure gaps, particularly electricity, would be vital to its success.
“It is a good policy. It is futuristic, but government must do its own part. Without reliable power, it will be difficult to achieve,” he said.
According to him, uninterrupted electricity remains essential for the operation of modern data centres, which require continuous power to deliver reliable services.
He noted that many operators currently rely on a combination of grid electricity and alternative power sources, increasing operating costs and making large-scale investments more challenging.
Ekeh said although businesses had continued to adapt to prevailing conditions, the high cost of energy remained an important consideration for technology investments.
He described solar energy as a useful intervention but said strengthening the national grid remained essential for supporting large-scale digital infrastructure.
“Solar is not a total solution. It is an intervention. The national grid remains the real solution,” he said.
Ekeh also cautioned against the growing use of substandard solar equipment, saying poor-quality systems often failed within a short period, resulting in additional costs for businesses.
Beyond electricity, he said Nigeria was not yet ready for large-scale AI data centres because of inadequate digital infrastructure and a shortage of skilled technology professionals.
According to him, many existing data centres were designed before the emergence of AI and would require upgrades to meet current technological demands.
“We have moved to AI data centres. If you invest in a conventional data centre today, you are already investing in outdated technology,” he said.
Ekeh identified human capital as another major challenge, noting that many universities still lacked stable electricity, decent computer laboratories and qualified lecturers needed to train quality tech professionals today and for sustainability of the investment.
He also said the migration of skilled technology professionals to countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States continued to pose challenges for Nigeria’s digital economy.
“How much can you pay a technology expert here when the person can earn much more in the United Kingdom or the United States,,” he asked.
The Zinox chairman stressed that trust, integrity and strong data protection are essential to encouraging organisations to host sensitive information locally.
While commending the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for promoting local technology development, Ekeh said effective implementation would be key to achieving the desired results.
“I respect the CBN governor. He means well and is putting many things in place, but implementation is another matter,” he said.
Ekeh also called for a credible digital population census, saying reliable demographic data would improve national planning and support future investments in the country’s digital economy.
“A digital census will tell us how many Nigerians will attain the age of 18 next year or in the years ahead. That is the kind of data needed for effective planning,” he said.
This follows a recent CBN directive mandating banks, fintechs and other payment service providers to store payment transaction data generated in Nigeria on local servers from Jan. 1, 2027.
