Why AI Infrastructure Will Define Nigeria’s Next Economic Leap – Chomse

As artificial intelligence accelerates across global markets, the question for Nigeria is no longer whether AI will shape its future, but whether its digital infrastructure can keep pace. At the centre of this conversation is Gary Chomse, Regional Director for Central and Southern Africa at Vertiv, a global provider of critical digital infrastructure and continuity solutions.

With oversight of fast-growing African markets, Chomseworks closely with data centre operators, enterprises and technology partners to design power and cooling systems capable of supporting next-generation AI workloads. His perspective blends global insight with regional realities, from Nigeria’s expanding cloud ecosystem to the practical constraints of power availability and climate.

In this interview with THISDAY, Chomse discusses the rising pressure AI places on Nigeria’s data centre infrastructure, lessons from more mature global markets, and what it will take for the country to build resilient, AI-ready capacity that can drive long-term economic competitiveness. Excerpts.

How would you describe the current status of AI in Nigeria, and what does that mean for digital infrastructure demand?

Nigeria is rapidly emerging as one of Africa’s digital leaders. A youthful, digitally fluent population, growing tech ecosystem and a larger-than-ever economy are together creating intense demand for cloud, connectivity and advanced compute – the exact ingredients AI needs to scale. Recent market assessments show strong growth in local data centre investment and cloud adoption, with hubs in cities such as Lagos accounting for the bulk of capacity. 

This is great news for innovation, but it also exposes a gap. AI workloads are compute- and power-hungry and their growth is outpacing local capacity. While Nigeria’s market is expanding quickly – with forecasts pointing to a sizeable data centre market over the next five years – the country still needs more scalable, AI-ready infrastructure that can be deployed fast and operate efficiently in challenging power and environment conditions. 

How does AI intensify pressure on power and cooling infrastructure in Nigeria’s data centres?

AI workloads put a very different level of strain on data centre infrastructure. Unlike traditional IT environments, AI requires extremely high-density compute that runs continuously, driving sharp increases in power consumption and heat generation within a smaller physical footprint.

In Nigeria, this pressure is amplified by real-world conditions. Power availability can be inconsistent; grid capacity is constrained in key urban centres; and energy costs are rising. At the same time, Nigeria’s climate means cooling systems must work harder and more efficiently to maintain stable operating conditions. AI accelerates all of these challenges at once.

To support AI reliably, data centres must move beyond conventional designs. At Vertiv, we see three immediate priorities: deploy modular, AI-ready capacity where demand is highest; design for resiliency and energy efficiency to manage operating costs and carbon footprint; and enable a rapid path to capacity through prefabricated, modular solutions so businesses don’t wait months for critical compute. Those approaches directly address the urgency created by escalating AI workloads and constrained local capacity.

What lessons can Nigeria take from more mature AI data-centre markets globally?

More mature AI data-centre markets show that success is less about scale and more about designing for high-density, efficiency and speed right from the start. In regions where AI adoption has accelerated fastest, operators have prioritised infrastructure that can support very high-power densities, advanced cooling and rapid scalability without compromising reliability.

One clear lesson for Nigeria is the value of planning for AI readiness early. Retrofitting legacy facilities to support AI is often costly and disruptive, whereas modular, prefabricated and AI-ready designs allow capacity to be deployed quickly and expanded as demand grows. This approach also reduces time to market, which is increasingly critical as organisations compete on AI capability.

Another important takeaway is the integration of energy efficiency and system-level thinking into every design decision. Markets leading the race to AI tend to treat efficient power and thermal management not just as efficiency goals, but as economic necessities. For Nigeria, where power availability and operating costs are ongoing concerns, this will be essential to making AI viable at scale.

Finally, more mature markets demonstrate the importance of strong ecosystems. Close collaboration between technology providers, data centre operators, utilities and regulators help keep pace with innovation. Nigeria has the opportunity to apply these lessons now and build an AI-ready data centre landscape that is resilient, scalable and globally competitive from day one.

How are emerging technologies like AI, 5G and edge computing influencing Vertiv’s approach to data centre design and deployment?

These technologies are transforming deployment strategies. Customers need infrastructure that’s flexible, fast to deploy and easy to scale. At Vertiv, we’re responding with modular building blocks like Vertiv™ OneCore hybrid, prefabricated solution, which allows for repeatable, factory-integrated solutions that can be customised for specific workloads, locations or regulations. This approach lowers risk, accelerates time-to-AI and promotes standardisation across regions, a key advantage in fast-developing markets like Africa.

Vertiv OneCore represents the convergence of two established approaches to data centre development: the traditional brick-and-mortar build and prefabricated modular construction. Traditional builds allow for highly customised, large-scale facilities, but they often require long lead times and more complex project management. Prefabricated modular construction, on the other hand, leverages pre-engineered. factory-built modules for power, cooling and IT infrastructure that are shipped to site for rapid assembly, providing quicker deployment, quality control and improved cost predictability. 

Vertiv OneCore combines the two methodologies together into a single, integrated platform, combining the scale and robustness of conventional builds with the speed, flexibility and efficiency of modular deployment. This hybrid approach enables organisations to bring capacity online more quickly, reduce project risk, optimise costs through repeatable modular design and maintain the adaptability needed to support evolving requirements such as AI workloads, edge computing, and responsible business goals.

How is Vertiv approaching the growing demands of AI infrastructure and digital transformation particularly in African markets? What are some of the company’s key initiatives in this space?

We’re deeply invested in enabling AI infrastructure through partnerships and innovation. Collaborations with technology leaders such as NVIDIA and PNY Technologies help us optimise power and cooling for AI clusters. We’ve also expanded our portfolio with solutions like Vertiv™ 360AI, our portfolio of power, cooling and service solutions that solve the complex challenges arising from the AI revolution, and Vertiv™ EnergyCore Grid, our battery energy storage system (BESS) offering, which bring efficiency and intelligence to every layer of the data centre. 

Beyond technology, we’re focused on sharing our expertise and supporting continuous learning, through initiatives like our continent-wide AI Innovation roadshows, technical webinars and regional events, like our AI Roadshow in Lagos earlier in 2025, to share knowledge and accelerate adoption.

If Nigeria gets AI infrastructure right, what does that mean for economic growth and global competitiveness?

If Nigeria gets AI infrastructure right, the impact goes far beyond technology and can have a positive effect on the economy. Reliable, AI-ready digital infrastructure enables faster innovation, higher productivity and the creation of new services across sectors such as finance, telecommunications, healthcare, manufacturing and the public sector.

From a competitiveness perspective, local AI capacity reduces dependence on offshore compute, improves data sovereignty and lowers latency for digital services.

At a national level, AI-ready infrastructure supports skills development and high-value job creation, helping to retain talent and position Nigeria as a regional hub for advanced digital services. Countries that invest early in resilient power, efficient cooling and scalable data centre capacity are the ones that capture long-term value from AI. Nigeria has the scale, the talent and the market demand to be one of those leaders.