Botswana & Nigeria Race to Power Africa's AI Era with Renewable Data Centers
Botswana and Nigeria have surprisingly taken the lead in a new competition, not for resources or politics, but for hosting Africa's digital future. These nations are building cutting-edge data centers, not just for colocation, but to secure strategic relevance and power Africa's AI era.
Botswana is constructing a high-density data campus near Palapye, with a 250MW solar farm and 100MW of battery storage for power. Natural gas serves as a backup. This project is part of a larger trend: the next phase of Africa's data center boom may happen in places like Palapye or Calabar in Nigeria, known for cheaper power, abundant land, and minimal political red tape.
Nigeria, meanwhile, is building a Tier IV data center in Calabar, harnessing water for hydro generation, solar power, and nearby gas infrastructure. Both nations are using hybrid energy models to ensure stable power for high-load AI infrastructure. The competition now focuses on power, with low-cost, always-on, cleaner energy being crucial. Companies like Aquila Group and its subsidiary Aquila Capital Investmentgesellschaft are involved in these developments. These data centers are seen as tools for sovereignty, with the potential to create jobs and localize cloud services.
Botswana and Nigeria are at the forefront of Africa's digital infrastructure race, building renewable-powered data centers to serve cloud providers and AI compute clusters. Future developments will depend on hyperscalers' commitments, grid upgrades, job creation, and citizen acceptance of energy sources. These projects mark a significant step towards digital sovereignty and economic growth for both nations.
