Meta is strengthening its foothold in Africa’s digital ecosystem with fresh investments in subsea cables and data centers, a move the company says will drive connectivity, boost financial inclusion, and unlock economic growth across the continent.
The company’s Edge Strategy Manager, Ben Ryall, disclosed this in Lagos during the weekend launch of Digital Realty’s third Lagos data center, LKK2. He emphasized that reliable digital infrastructure is essential for Africa’s development, describing connectivity as “no longer a luxury” but a necessity.
The new LKK2 facility, located in Lekki, adds nearly 2MW of IT capacity across 13,000 square feet and interconnects with LKK1, which hosts the 2Africa subsea cable landing station. This setup links Nigeria to over 46 landing points across 33 countries in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, positioning the country as a hub for international connectivity.
Meta’s 2Africa cable, which lands in multiple Nigerian cities, is designed to improve redundancy and reduce overreliance on single cable systems. Ryall noted that this, combined with data center expansion, would strengthen Africa’s digital backbone and enable services such as e-learning, telemedicine, and e-commerce.
“With Africa’s population expected to reach 2.1 billion by 2050, scaling infrastructure will be key to meeting demand,” Ryall said, adding that Meta is expanding beyond Nigeria into Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and other underserved markets.
Digital Realty’s Managing Director in Nigeria, Ikechukwu Nnamani, described the launch of LKK2 as a “significant milestone,” noting that it integrates with the company’s global ServiceFabric interconnection platform. “Our investment reinforces our commitment to building a future-ready infrastructure that supports digital transformation across Africa,” he said.
