Congo’s National Data Center Set for Inauguration by End of 2026

After several missed deadlines, the Republic of Congo’s national data center is finally expected to be inaugurated before the end of 2026. Launched in Brazzaville in 2024, the construction project currently stands at 82% completion, according to the Congolese Information Agency. During a site visit conducted on September 22 and 23, authorities secured a commitment from the Chinese firm responsible for the works to complete the infrastructure by year’s end.

Strategic Location and Infrastructure

Located in Bacongo, in the second district of Brazzaville, on the former site of the Union of African Postal and Telecommunications (UAPT), the future center is set to become a cornerstone of the Congolese public digital ecosystem. It is designed to host, store, and process digital data for the administration, as well as applications used or developed by public services.

The building features three levels and a basement, including dedicated server rooms, control and supervision rooms, and technical spaces dedicated to energy management and air conditioning.

A History of Delays

The project has been plagued by repeated postponements:

September 2024: With works exceeding 60% completion, the government announced a delivery date before the end of December that same year.
Late February 2025: Progress surpassed 80%, and an inauguration was scheduled for November.
August 2025: The project exceeded 90% completion. The African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Congolese government still targeted an inauguration before November 28. This deadline was ultimately missed, with financing difficulties disrupting the final phase of construction.
October 2025: With works reported at 95%, the Chinese contractor, Sumec, threatened to withdraw due to delays in the payment of the government’s expected share.

The new timeline announced in September 2026 represents yet another deadline following several previous announcements that did not materialize.

Part of the Central Africa Backbone (CAB) Project

The data center is a key component of the Congolese portion of the Central Africa Backbone (CAB) project, which focuses on developing regional digital infrastructure. The program involves a total financing of €66.55 million, comprising:

€52.47 million from the African Development Bank.
€14.5 million from the Congolese state.

Of this total, approximately €13.8 million is allocated specifically to the construction and operationalization of the data center.

The CAB program extends beyond the data center itself. It has also facilitated the deployment of over 600 kilometers of fiber optic cable to connect the Congo to Cameroon and the Central African Republic (CAR). This network includes:

341 kilometers toward Cameroon.
281 kilometers toward the Central African Republic.

The data center complements this connectivity by providing local capacity for hosting and data processing.

Beyond Data Storage: Digital Sovereignty

For the Congo, the project’s significance goes beyond merely constructing a building equipped with servers. The African Development Bank presents this infrastructure as a means to strengthen national control over digital data and the country’s digital sovereignty. The primary objective is to ensure that public data and certain applications are hosted locally, reducing reliance on infrastructure located abroad.

For both government agencies and businesses, this shift may have significant implications for the local digital ecosystem. The availability of services, application hosting, data processing, and the development of new digital services will depend partly on the center’s ability to operate reliably once it enters production.

Power Supply: A Critical Technical Challenge

Power supply remains a crucial technical issue in this final phase. Information shared during the September visit indicates that teams are working to secure the center’s power supply, particularly through coordination with the electrical grid and the integration of solar solutions. The Kintélé site, where a solar power plant is under development, was also visited as part of the same mission.

Conclusion

If the announced schedule is met this time, the Congo will possess a national infrastructure by the end of 2026, intended to become a central point in its public digital architecture. However, after several successive missed deadlines, the next decisive step will be less about announcing a date and more about the effective transition of the construction site to operational status.