U.S.-based technology company Equinix announced on Tuesday (April 5) that it has completed the acquisition of MainOne, a connectivity and data center solutions provider operating in West Africa. The transaction, valued at US$320 million, marks the beginning of Equinix's expansion in Africa.   

With the acquisition of MainOne, Equinix adds four operational data centers to its assets. The company also inherits an extensive submarine fiber network spanning 7,000 km from Portugal to Lagos, Accra, and along the West African coast. It also takes over a terrestrial network of more than 1,200 km of fiber in three Nigerian states (Lagos, Edo, and Ogun). 

The acquisition reinforces Equinix's long-term strategy to become a leading carrier-neutral digital infrastructure firm in Africa. Thanks to that move, Equinix will be able to bring a full range of transformative technologies and connectivity to Nigeria, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire under a new brand led by Funke Opeke (photo), founder and CEO of MainOne.

“Expansion in Africa has long been a strategic priority for us. With MainOne, we have found a company that not only has a highly complementary data center and connectivity assets but can further accelerate the expansion of our business model and growth objectives,” said Eugene Bergen, president of EMEA at Equinix, in December 2021, when announcing Equinix’s plan to acquire MainOne. 

Equinix's African expansion comes in a context marked by the renewed interest in Africa’s growing data center market. In that market, growth is driven by strong demand for high-speed connectivity and the accelerating digital transformation. According to the "Data Centers in Africa Focus Report" compiled by Oxford Business Group and the African Data Center Association (ADCA), the African data center market is expected to reach £3 billion (US$3.9 billion) by 2025.

Isaac K. Kassouwi