Raxio Group has today inaugurated its state-of-the-art data centre in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, marking the fifth data centre launch in its current portfolio and the company’s third consecutive launch this year alone after Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). With Tier III accreditation by the international industry body the Uptime Institute, Raxio aims to play a pivotal role in the country’s digital growth.
Named Raxio CIV1, the data centre is the country’s first Tier III certified carrier-neutral and cloud-neutral facility and its presence in the fastest-growing economy in francophone West Africa will drive appetite for data consumption and local content by all digital users
The launch of Raxio CIV1 marks Raxio Group’s entry into West Africa. As the regional hub for the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), which includes Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Niger, Senegal, and Togo, Raxio CIV1 is strategically located to serve this economic block, with regulation allowing storage and movement of data by the banking industry and other financial institutions within the territory.
“The inauguration of our Abidjan data centre establishes us firmly in West Africa, a key growth sector for our continued expansion,” said Robert Mullins, CEO of Raxio Group. “Abidjan is the ideal location for organizations and businesses from across the economic region to collocate their mission-critical infrastructure in a highly reliable and secure facility. We are proud to contribute a fundamental cornerstone to facilitate Côte d’Ivoire’s continued digital growth and cement its hub status in the region.”
Situated in the Village of Innovation and Technology (VITIB) approximately 30 km from the city centre of Abidjan, Raxio CIV1 is supported by multiple paths for power and fibre connections, and cutting-edge redundant equipment, which underpin its Tier III certification. The 24/7 “always-on” facility is positioned along key fibre routes, delivering best-in-class colocation and excellent domestic and international connectivity, with six connectivity providers currently supplying fibre to the facility.
CIV1 will also serve as host to the country’s Internet Exchange Point (CIVIX) allowing for low-cost interconnection of local and international traffic in an optimal, carrier-neutral environment.
From this location, Raxio CIV1 will be serving customers in Abidjan and the wider WAEMU region —and across a wide range of sectors —at a time when digital transformation, data, content consumption, and connectivity are all increasing at historic rates.
Raphael Konan, Raxio General Manager of Cote d’Ivoire, said “We are extremely proud to be among the key enablers that are driving digital inclusion in Cote d’Ivoire.” Adds “We are looking forward to welcoming customers into an international-standard and industry-accredited data centre environment that is also a prime example of our ability to build sustainable facilities.”
The new facility at VITIB includes feeds allowing Raxio to incorporate renewable energy and provide its services most sustainably. As with all its data centres, Raxio Cote d’Ivoire is built with sustainability practices from its energy-efficient design and environmentally conscious processes. The facility is equipped with the latest-generation technologies that ensure maximum operational effectiveness and deliver environmental efficiencies.
Raxio’s design and equipment choices are adapted to local environmental and climatic conditions, allowing this facility to reach Power Usage Efficiency (PUE) ratios unrivaled on the African continent.
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Pan-African Data Centre Coverage
Raxio Group continues to see strong momentum behind the roll-out of its pan-African Data Centre footprint. Appetite for data centre capacity is growing not just amongst local enterprises and the public sector, but increasingly from some of the world’s largest hyper-scale Cloud Service Providers, Content Delivery Networks, and Mobile Network Operators as they strengthen their networks and market presence on the continent.
With the widest footprint of any data centre provider on the continent, Raxio’s strategy is to address the significant demand for high-quality data infrastructure across Africa, while contributing to closing the sub-Saharan connectivity gap.
Since opening its first data centre in Uganda in 2021, Raxio Group has expanded this year into Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The launch of the Cote d’Ivoire data centre marks the opening of Raxio’s fifth facility with facilities in Angola and Tanzania coming next.
