Botswana and Nigeria are emerging as new hubs for data centre development, with recent announcements highlighting major projects that will leverage renewable energy to power digital growth.
In Botswana, Netherlands-based AAAS Energy and US operator ChillMine have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly develop a large-scale data centre campus. The facility will support AI computing, global hyperscalers, and high-density operations. It will form part of an Energy Hub and Industrial Park near Palapye, integrating a 250MW solar PV project and a 100MW/400MW battery energy storage system. Combined with planned natural gas projects, this hybrid model aims to deliver reliable, low-cost power for technology companies expanding into Africa.
Maarten Mennes, Managing Director of AAAS, noted that the partnership creates a unique value proposition by blending solar, storage, and natural gas to provide stable energy for high-demand digital operations.
Meanwhile, in Nigeria, Nugi Group has unveiled plans to build a Tier IV data centre in Calabar, Cross River State. The project is positioned as part of a strategy to decentralise Nigeria’s digital infrastructure, which has traditionally concentrated in Lagos and Abuja. Ugi Augustine, President of Nugi Group, highlighted Cross River’s cost advantages and natural resources as ideal for such an investment.
The Calabar facility will be powered by a mix of renewable and traditional energy sources, including hydroelectric power from a nearby waterfall, solar grids with long-term storage capacity, and natural gas-to-electricity conversion. The project is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s position in the global data economy while diversifying the country’s digital infrastructure base.
