Sahara Group and Nigerian Government Collaborate on National Data Park at Egbin Power

Boosting Nigeria’s Digital Infrastructure

Nigeria’s digital landscape is poised for a significant transformation as Sahara Group, a leading global energy and infrastructure conglomerate, partners with the Federal Government of Nigeria to establish a National Data Park and Compute Infrastructure at Egbin Power Plant—Africa’s largest privately-run thermal power facility.

Strategic Collaboration for Digital Growth

The initiative, spearheaded by Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, aims to strengthen data sovereignty and cybersecurity while accelerating economic development.

During a meeting at Sahara Group’s Isle Centrum office in Lagos, Dr. Tijani emphasized that the proposed National Data Park aligns with Nigeria’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy (NAIS), launched in 2024. He described the project as a catalyst for Nigeria’s digital transformation, enabling sustainable value extraction from the nation’s digital economy.

Global Inspiration and Local Impact

Dr. Tijani highlighted successful models in countries like Ireland and Singapore, where similar initiatives have attracted foreign tech investments and boosted economic growth. “The Data Park will centralize credible data, optimize computational resources, and accelerate AI deployment across key sectors,” he stated.

Sahara Group’s Vision for Digital Transformation

Kola Adesina, Executive Director of Sahara Group, called the collaboration a “huge opportunity” to redefine Nigeria’s digital economy. “This project exemplifies how public-private partnerships can deliver world-class solutions that benefit all economic sectors,” he said.

Adesina noted that the Egbin Industrial Park would create ecosystems to improve governance, business operations, and generate thousands of jobs. “By enhancing data sovereignty, we’ll reduce reliance on foreign cloud platforms, offering Nigerians faster and more secure digital services,” he added.

Why Egbin Power?

As Nigeria’s largest power generation facility with 1,320 MW capacity, Egbin Power guarantees uninterrupted electricity—critical for data center operations. Its strategic advantages include:

• Access to deep-sea internet cables
• Over 500 hectares of available land
• Existing industrial infrastructure

Expected Benefits

At full capacity, the National Data Park is projected to:

• Enhance research capabilities
• Boost economic growth and job creation
• Improve government services in healthcare, agriculture, and SME support
• Generate tens of thousands of tech-related jobs

This collaboration marks a significant step in positioning Nigeria as a regional leader in digital infrastructure and innovation.