The Nigeria-China Strategic Partnership (NCSP) has projected that Nigeria’s data center market, valued at $278 million in 2024, will grow to $671 million by 2030, as the country seeks to position itself as Africa’s next major digital hub.
NCSP Director-General, Joseph Tegbe, disclosed this on Friday at the Digital Silk Road Connection Event in China. In a statement titled “NCSP Engages China’s Tech Giants, Pitches Nigeria as Next Big Data Frontier,” he urged Chinese technology leaders to take advantage of early investment opportunities in Nigeria’s fast-expanding digital economy.
According to Tegbe, Nigeria already accounts for a significant share of Africa’s over 570 million internet users, with mobile data traffic expanding by 40 percent annually. He noted that this growth makes the country an attractive destination for big data, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence development.
Tegbe outlined Nigeria’s priority areas for partnership with Chinese tech firms, including the development of hyperscale data centers, the diversification of global AI supply chains using African datasets and talent, the establishment of joint research laboratories in key sectors such as agriculture, health, and finance, and stronger talent pipelines through exchange and research programs.
He stressed that these efforts align with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which opens access to a 1.4 billion-person market across Africa. Tegbe argued that Nigeria’s expanding fintech sector, growing fiber-optic infrastructure, and more than 160 million internet-connected citizens position it as the natural gateway for China’s digital expansion in Africa.
“If we align China’s expertise with Nigeria’s innovation and Africa’s vast markets, we can create new Silk Roads of digital opportunity. Nigeria is ready. Africa is ready. Together with China, we can shape the digital destiny of tomorrow,” he said.
Tegbe concluded that data has become the “new oil” and urged Chinese companies to be early movers in building the digital infrastructure that would power Africa’s next phase of economic growth.
