Schneider Electric has highlighted the role of advanced software in shaping Nigeria’s rapidly evolving data centre landscape, as the country accelerates its adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), cloud services, and edge computing.
With Nigeria’s data centre market projected to grow significantly over the next five years, the integration of intelligent software is becoming essential to address challenges related to power availability, operational efficiency, and sustainability.
Nigeria’s surging demand for digital infrastructure is being fuelled by financial services, telecom operators, technology startups and government-led digital transformation initiatives. The country’s increasing push for AI adoption across key sectors—including fintech, agriculture, education and healthcare—has placed additional pressure on data centres to deliver resilient and energy-efficient performance. Against the backdrop of a strained national grid, running facilities with predictive intelligence is no longer optional but a necessity.
To meet this need, Schneider Electric is advancing software solutions that enhance every stage of the data centre lifecycle. Using digital twin technology, facilities can be simulated and optimized before construction, enabling better energy design and reduced costs. Once operational, the company’s software provides real-time visibility across assets, automates controls for power and cooling, and supports predictive maintenance. These innovations aim to help Nigerian operators cut downtime, extend equipment lifespan and lower energy expenses—critical in a market where electricity remains one of the biggest operating costs.
Cooling is emerging as a major priority, particularly as enterprises embrace AI-powered applications that require high-density computing. Schneider Electric’s AI-driven software helps manage these demands by predicting cooling requirements, scheduling maintenance interventions such as coil cleaning and fluid treatment, and signalling when motors or fans need replacement. This predictive approach is especially vital in Nigeria, where cooling can account for nearly 40 percent of a data centre’s energy consumption.
Ajibola Akindele, Country President, Schneider Electric West Africa, underscored the importance of this transition. “Software is no longer a background tool for data centres in Nigeria. It is the intelligence that allows operators to anticipate changes in demand, optimize energy use and ensure resilient performance even in the face of power constraints,” he said.
As Nigeria positions itself as a digital hub for West Africa, the ability of data centres to scale efficiently while maintaining sustainability will be central to this ambition. Schneider Electric is investing in platforms such as EcoStruxure IT to unify monitoring, prediction and orchestration of operations.
“By embracing AI-enabled software, Nigeria’s data centre industry can move from reactive management to proactive orchestration,” Akindele added. “This is how we will embed sustainability as a driver of innovation rather than treat it as a compliance requirement.”
Through these advancements, Schneider Electric is enabling Nigerian data centres to prepare for the next wave of digital transformation, ensuring enterprises can leverage AI without compromising efficiency or reliability.
