Republic of Congo invests $72.8 million in state-of-the-art data center project

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The Republic of Congo is undertaking an ambitious project to build a state-of-the-art three-storey data center in the Bakongo district of Brazzaville that will serve as the national data hub.

This initiative aims to securely store and process digital data that is essential to the advancement of the country’s digital infrastructure.

Funded by the African Development Bank, the center will soon become Congo’s digital hub, housing a range of applications essential to the country’s development.

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Michel Ngakara, Coordinator of the Central African Fiber Optic Backbone Project, emphasized the importance of this initiative, noting Congo’s imminent status as the only Central African country with its own data centres.

“With a huge investment of 66.55 million euros (52.47 million from the AfDB and 14.5 million from the Congolese government), the project involves the laying of a 600-kilometer fiber optic cable connecting Congo with Cameroon and the Central African Republic via the Congo River,” the officer noted.

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Ngakara highlighted the impact of the project on Congo’s digital sovereignty and stressed the need for data management within Congo’s borders.

Ngakara believes data centers are the cornerstone of Congo’s digital security strategy, citing the need to reduce cybersecurity risks associated with offshore data storage. He illustrates the impact through examples such as the Postal Service’s Digital Identification Project, which increases data security by keeping data domestic.

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“This project will strengthen the country’s digital sovereignty, as our data, even the most sensitive, faces real risks of misuse, breach and large-scale leakage. We cannot claim sovereignty as long as it is kept in a foreign country.

Once completed by December 2024, the data center will feature server rooms, monitoring facilities and conference space, providing a comprehensive infrastructure for digital operations.

Samatar Omar Elmi, Chief ICT Specialist at the African Development Bank, envisions a digital circular economy that fosters regional value creation and highlights the far-reaching impact of the project.

“In recent years, issues surrounding the location of data have become more active across Africa, especially when it comes to sensitive data.The availability of locally generated data creates a virtuous cycle of local value creation. They will benefit the entire digital ecosystem of each country (public, private, etc.). These are the early stages of a digital circular economy that will contribute to low-carbon development on the African continent.”

Furthermore, the World Bank’s Congo Country Economist, Sié-Antoine-Marie Thiouet, highlights the project’s potential to strengthen Congo’s economic competitiveness by improving communications infrastructure.

“This project will help improve the competitiveness of the Congolese economy in terms of factor costs, as communication is a key element of economic development.”

Once completed, the data center will be managed by a representative responsible for its operations, marketing, and maintenance.

The project reflects the partnership between Congo and the African Development Bank and demonstrates the bank’s commitment to developing the country’s infrastructure.

In addition to data centres, the bank has financed several road infrastructure projects in Congo, demonstrating its diversified investment portfolio in the country.

“As of April 2024, the Bank’s active projects in Congo totaled $411.62 million and cover a variety of sectors, including transportation, governance, agriculture, telecommunications, and social development.”

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