Countries / Africa
Nigeria
Nigeria has the fastest-growing AI data centre pipeline in West Africa but self-generates its power, and a localisation bill is pending.
The National AI Strategy (2025-2029) was published in September 2025 and the Nigeria Data Protection Act has applied since June 2023. A Senate bill introduced in February 2025 would require Nigerian user data to be stored domestically; it is a proposal. Two AI bills were still pending as of July 2026. Operational capacity is about 86 MW across 25 data centres with over 320 MW planned, and a purpose-built AI site in Lekki and a 38 MW AI-oriented site at Eko Atlantic are the ones to watch. GPU rental has started to appear locally.
AI policy and activity
No standalone AI law has been enacted. The Nigerian AI Bill 2025 (HB 2567) and National AI Commission Bill 2025 (SB 731) remain under deliberation. NITDA's February 2025 clearance guidelines require its approval for AI-enabled federal IT projects worth NGN 10 million or more.
Power and grid
The grid is reported to deliver 5,000 to 6,000 MW against 13,000 MW installed, so operators self-generate at roughly 0.28 to 0.33 dollars per kWh. Figures come from a single trade guide and should be treated as indicative.
Data centres and compute
| Site | Where | Status | Notes and source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kasi Cloud Lekki Kasi Cloud (backed by Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority) | Lekki, Lagos | Planned | Purpose-built AI facility due to launch April 2026 at 5.5 MW, scaling to 100 MW, with liquid-to-chip cooling. Launch not confirmed in the source. (source) |
| Nxtra by Airtel Eko Atlantic Nxtra by Airtel | Lagos | Operating | 38 MW facility built for AI workloads; GPU shipments reported received. (source) |
| LG3 Equinix (formerly MainOne) | Lagos | Planned | Reported to open Q1 2026. Other operators named include Rack Centre, MTN Genova (Ikeja phase 1 July 2025) and Cassava, which plans an AI factory in Nigeria. (source) |
Rules and programmes
| Instrument | Kind | Status | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| National AI Strategy 2025-2029 | Policy | In force from 1 September 2025 | Digest page. Published September 2025; day of month not confirmed. |
| Senate Bill 722 (data localisation) | Law | Proposed | Introduced February 2025. Would require storage of Nigerian user data domestically and local offices for foreign data companies. Not enacted as of the digest. |
| Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 | Law | In force from 1 June 2023 | In force June 2023 per the digest. Includes a right to contest solely automated decisions. |
Checked on 2 October 2026 and due for review by 1 January 2027. Many sources are trade press or law-firm summaries rather than official texts, and statuses such as reported or unconfirmed are shown as the source gives them. This is a summary, not legal advice. If something is wrong or out of date, tell us.