Digital infrastructure Equinix, Inc. announced its acquisition of MainOne, a West African data center and connectivity solutions provider. MainOne has offices in Nigeria, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
According to the official announcement, the deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2022.
Equinix’s acquisition of MainOne has an enterprise value of $320 million. The deal presents an a pivotal entry point for Equinix into the African market and making the company a leading African carrier neutral digital infrastructure company.  Nigeria and Ghana have already become an established data center hub.
Founded by Funke Opeke in 2010, MainOne has enabled connectivity for the business community of Nigeria and now has digital infrastructure assets including three operational data centers. Additionally, is a new facility under construction expected to open in the first quarter of 2022. Upon closing, centres will add over 64,000 gross square feet of space to Platform Equinix, leaving 570,000 square feet of land for future expansions.
MainOne also owns and operates a network from Nigeria to Portugal and 1,200 km of terrestrial fiber network across southern Nigeria. The acquisition will allow Platform Equinix to enter in West Africa, giving organizations based inside and outside of Africa access to one of the world’s fastest growing markets.
The acquisition of MainOne will represent a critical point of entry for Platform Equinix into the expansive and rapidly growing African market. MainOne’s leading interconnection position and experienced management team represent critical assets in our aspirations to be the leading neutral provider of digital infrastructure in Africa. Growth of data consumption in Africa is amongst the fastest in the world, and our customers are looking for a trusted partner to pursue the opportunities presented by broad mobile adoption and greater connectivity across the region.
Following the completion of the deal, MainOne’s management team will remain in their respective roles, including CEO Funke Opeke.
Funke Opeke, Founder and CEO, MainOne:
Funke Opeke
Equinix will accelerate our long-term vision to grow digital infrastructure investments across Africa. I thank our founding shareholders led by Mr. Fola Adeola, MainStreet Technologies, AFC, PAIDF, FBN, Polaris and AfDB for investing in the MainOne vision to bridge the Digital Divide in Africa. With similar values and culture to what we have jointly built in twelve 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.
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