Equinix to Invest $140M in Nigeria to Expand Internet Infrastructure

Key Takeaways

Equinix’s investment aims to close Nigeria’s middle-mile infrastructure gap—the critical layer connecting coastal landing stations to inland users. While subsea capacity has grown through systems like Equiano and 2Africa, much of the country remains underserved. By launching its PR1 facility in Port Harcourt and expanding LG3 in Lagos, Equinix is diversifying Nigeria’s bandwidth geography and creating redundancy in the national internet backbone. The Port Harcourt site will also play a strategic role in hosting Meta’s 2Africa cable, increasing capacity for Nigeria’s oil-rich southern corridor. However, achieving national digital inclusion will require deeper fiber rollout beyond major cities. The Federal Government’s Broadband Alliance initiative targets 70% broadband penetration by 2025, but current access remains at 45%. Equinix’s neutral interconnection model and operational scale offer a foundation to support this goal. The firm’s approach to active/active traffic routing across subsea systems is also critical for building a resilient and secure West African digital economy.