Equinix’s Push for a Second Internet Gateway in Nigeria’s South-South Region

Nigeria’s digital infrastructure is entering a new phase of transformation. When the Meta-backed 2Africa submarine cable arrived at Qua Iboe Beach in Akwa Ibom State on February 20, 2024, it quietly altered the country’s long-standing internet structure. For the first time, an international subsea cable landed on Nigerian soil outside Lagos.

For decades, Nigeria’s global internet connectivity has depended almost entirely on Lagos. Equinix, working through MainOne Solutions, now aims to shift that balance by establishing the South-South as a second major entry point for international data traffic. The broader objective is to decentralise connectivity, strengthen infrastructure resilience, and improve internet performance across the country.

Redefining Nigeria’s Internet Landscape

Nigeria, home to over 200 million people, has historically routed most international internet traffic through Lagos. While this centralised approach provided operational efficiency, it also introduced significant risks and limitations.

Equinix facilitated the 2Africa cable landing through its subsidiary MainOne Solutions and views the project as the foundation of a new digital hub in the South-South region. The company’s long-term strategy is to build a fully operational connectivity ecosystem capable of supporting surrounding regions, including the South-East.

Over the last two years, MainOne has expanded beyond the cable landing itself. The company developed a modular cable landing station in Akwa Ibom, deployed about 250 kilometres of terrestrial fibre linking Akwa Ibom to Rivers State, expanded metropolitan fibre networks in both states, and completed a carrier-neutral data centre in Port Harcourt known as PR1. Together, these components form a new digital gateway designed to operate independently of Lagos.

The initiative seeks to reduce Lagos’ dominance in international traffic routing, improve network performance, lower operational costs, and expand digital access across underserved regions.

Ending Lagos’ Infrastructure Concentration

Most of Nigeria’s submarine cable systems currently land in Lagos. This clustering simplified maintenance, routing, and data centre operations but created a structural weakness by concentrating the nation’s connectivity in a single geographic location.

Abayomi Adebanjo, Director of Legal at MainOne Solutions by Equinix, described Lagos as a bottleneck that exposed the country to significant risks. That vulnerability became evident in March 2024 when an underwater landslide off the coast of Côte d’Ivoire damaged several major cable systems, including ACE, MainOne, SAT-3, and WACS. Because many of these cables share similar seabed routes toward Lagos, the incident caused widespread connectivity disruptions across West Africa.

Equinix West Africa Managing Director Wole Abu explained that establishing a second landing point provides an independent pathway for international communications. This redundancy strengthens network stability and reduces the likelihood that a single incident could disrupt Nigeria’s digital economy.

Addressing Latency and the “Trombone Effect”

Centralised routing has also affected internet performance for users outside Lagos. Engineers refer to this issue as the trombone effect, where data travels unnecessarily long distances before reaching its destination.

For example, data sent from Port Harcourt may first route through Lagos, travel overseas, and then return to its original region. This extended journey increases latency, resulting in slower response times and a poorer user experience.

By positioning infrastructure closer to users in the South-South, Equinix aims to shorten data transmission paths and deliver faster connectivity.

Building a Complete Digital Ecosystem

Landing a submarine cable alone does not improve connectivity unless supported by onshore infrastructure. The 2Africa system spans about 45,000 kilometres and offers a design capacity of up to 180 terabits per second using advanced fibre technology. However, this capacity requires supporting infrastructure to become functional.

MainOne built several operational layers to enable the system. The cable landing station in Akwa Ibom serves as the physical termination point where the subsea cable connects to terrestrial networks. New fibre routes transport data inland to Port Harcourt, while metropolitan fibre networks distribute bandwidth locally within Akwa Ibom and Rivers State. The PR1 data centre in Port Harcourt provides a hub where network operators, cloud providers, and enterprises can interconnect.

Together, these components transform raw cable capacity into a fully functional connectivity ecosystem.

The Role of the PR1 Data Centre

The PR1 facility serves as a key component of the South-South gateway. Designed as a carrier-neutral data centre, it allows multiple service providers and networks to interconnect directly.

The facility has a one-megawatt capacity with expansion potential and has been operational since December. It is already onboarding customers, including at least one major global technology company that began deploying infrastructure before the centre was completed.

By enabling local interconnection, the data centre allows data traffic to remain within the region rather than passing through Lagos or international routes, reducing both costs and delays.

Why Akwa Ibom Was Chosen

Equinix selected Akwa Ibom based on regulatory, geographic, and economic considerations. The state provided a business-friendly environment and suitable coastal conditions for submarine cable landing. According to company officials, the region also offered efficient licensing and permit processes.

The South-South region is economically significant, with a population of about 32 million and extensive oil and gas infrastructure. Its growing enterprise base and increasing digital consumption also made it a strategic location for infrastructure expansion.

Nigeria’s young population and rising demand for digital services further influenced the decision to place connectivity infrastructure closer to users.

Equinix’s Position in the Connectivity Ecosystem

Equinix does not own the 2Africa cable, which belongs to a consortium that includes Meta and Vodafone. Instead, the company provides the infrastructure that enables networks and enterprises to access the cable’s capacity.

Its services include landing facilities, fibre transport infrastructure, data centres, and interconnection platforms. Following its $320 million acquisition of MainOne in 2022, Equinix strengthened its position as a major facilitator of subsea connectivity across West Africa.

Infrastructure Challenges and Security Risks

Developing a second digital gateway in the South-South presented significant challenges. The cable route crossed 18 oil and gas pipelines that account for nearly 30 percent of Nigeria’s oil output, requiring careful coordination to avoid disruption.

The terrestrial fibre network also spans multiple states, requiring approvals from various federal and state authorities, maritime agencies, and security bodies.

Infrastructure protection remains an ongoing concern. Cable theft and vandalism continue to threaten network reliability, prompting Equinix to collaborate with security agencies and advocate stronger protection for digital infrastructure as critical national assets.

Reducing Costs and Improving Performance

Decentralised connectivity is expected to lower operational costs for network providers. When international capacity is concentrated in Lagos, operators in other regions must pay additional fees to transport data over long distances. A second gateway reduces these middle-mile costs by enabling local routing and interconnection.

This shift could lead to more affordable internet services, improved network performance, and greater accessibility for businesses and consumers. It also enables disaster recovery strategies, allowing organisations to distribute operations between Lagos and Port Harcourt.

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Aligning With Global Connectivity Trends

Equinix operates in more than 70 markets worldwide and plays a foundational role in global internet infrastructure. Its expansion in Nigeria reflects broader technological trends, including distributed artificial intelligence systems, hybrid cloud computing, and increasing demand for low-latency services.

Local infrastructure deployment also supports data sovereignty requirements, allowing organisations to store and process data within national boundaries while maintaining high performance.

Transforming the South-South Into a Digital Hub

The South-South region has traditionally been associated with oil and gas production. However, Equinix’s investment positions it as an emerging centre for digital infrastructure.

Improved connectivity is expected to support financial services, cloud computing, telemedicine, online education, industrial operations, and creative industries. Households could also benefit from more reliable internet access for streaming, remote work, and digital commerce.

Toward a Dual-Anchor Internet Structure

Equinix’s strategy ultimately aims to shorten the distance data travels and create multiple access points for global connectivity. By establishing a second digital anchor outside Lagos, Nigeria moves toward a more resilient and distributed internet architecture.

If successful, the South-South gateway could reshape Nigeria’s connectivity framework, improving reliability, expanding access, and positioning the region as a central player in the country’s digital future.