Us-Based Firm Acquires Nigeria’s MainOne Data Centre Firm For $320m

Digital infrastructure company Equinix has acquired Nigeria’s MainOne, a data centre and network firm, in a $320m deal.

Headquartered in Redwood City, California, Equinix specialises in internet connection and data centres. The company is a global data centre market share leader, with 237 data centres in 27 countries on five continents.

On the other hand, MainOne, founded by Funke Opeke in 2010, has three operational data centres, with an additional facility expected to open in Q1 2022.

The firm also owns a submarine network extending 7,000km from Portugal to Lagos, Accra and along the west African coast, and 1,200km of terrestrial fibre network across Lagos, Edo and Odun.

The acquisition of MainOne will represent a critical point of entry for Equinix into the broad and rapidly growing African market. MainOne’s leading interconnection position and experienced management team represent essential assets of the US-based company’s aspirations to be the leading neutral provider of digital infrastructure in Africa.

MainOne’s infrastructure, customer relationships, partner ecosystem and operating capability will extend the reach of Equinix and bolster opportunities for customers in Africa and throughout the world.

“With more than 200 million people, Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy and, along with Ghana, has become an established data centre hub. This makes the acquisition a pivotal entry point for Equinix into the continent,” the company said in the statement.

Opeke commenting on the deal, also said, “Equinix will accelerate our long-term vision to grow digital infrastructure investments across Africa. With similar values and culture to what we have jointly built in 12 years, Equinix is the preferred partner for our growth journey. The MainOne team is excited about the partnership created through the acquisition, and we look forward to building our next chapter together.”

Under the terms of the deal, MainOne’s management team, including Opeke, will continue to serve in their roles.