New National Data Center Under Construction in Brazzaville, Congo
In the Bacongo district of Brazzaville, a new three-story building is under construction to house the future national data center of the Republic of the Congo. Financed by the African Development Bank and the Congolese government, this project represents a total investment of €66.55 million.
This futuristic-architecture data center is designed to store and process all of the country's digital data. It will also host various applications developed or acquired by the Congo, thereby strengthening national digital sovereignty. Currently, Congolese data is stored abroad, posing security and data breach risks. With this data center, the Congo will be the only country in Central Africa to possess such infrastructure, enabling local processing of video conferencing and other digital services.
The project also includes the installation of over 600 kilometers of fiber optic cables, connecting the Congo to Cameroon and the Central African Republic, thereby facilitating improved regional interconnection. A portion of the funding, €13.8 million, is dedicated to the construction and operationalization of the data center, expected to be completed by December 2024.
The data center will feature server rooms, control rooms, meeting rooms, and conference rooms, as well as necessary energy and air conditioning equipment. This infrastructure will not only improve the Congo's digital security by locally controlling data processing but also contribute to economic competitiveness by reducing communication costs.
The project is a key element of the Congo's strategy to strengthen its digital economy and security, while paving the way for initiatives such as digital identification of the Congolese population. The management of the data center will be entrusted to a public or private delegate to ensure its optimal operation.
The African Development Bank plays a major role in financing the Congo's infrastructure, with an active portfolio of $411.62 million as of April 1, 2024, covering various sectors such as transportation, governance, agriculture, and telecommunications.
