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Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), the world’s digital infrastructure company™, has announced its expansion into Africa through its planned acquisition of MainOne, a leading West African data center and connectivity solutions provider, with a presence in Nigeria, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire. The acquisition is expected to close in Q1 of 2022, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions including the requisite regulatory approvals.
The transaction has an enterprise value of US $320M and is expected to be AFFO accretive upon close, excluding integration costs, marking the first step in Equinix’s long-term strategy to become a leading African carrier neutral digital infrastructure company. With more than 200 million people, Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy and, along with Ghana, has become an established data center hub. This makes the acquisition a pivotal entry point for Equinix into the continent.
Equinix believes MainOne to be one of the most exciting technology businesses to emerge from Africa. Founded by Funke Opeke in 2010, the company has enabled connectivity for the business community of Nigeria and now has digital infrastructure assets including three operational data centers, with an additional facility under construction expected to open in Q1 2022. Upon closing, these facilities will add more than 64,000 gross square feet of space to Platform Equinix®, with 570,000 square feet of land for future expansions. MainOne owns and operates a subsea network from Nigeria to Portugal, as well as 1,200 kilometers of reliable terrestrial fiber network across southern Nigeria. These are all improving connectivity to and from Europe, West African countries, and the major business communities in Nigeria. When completed, this acquisition will extend Platform Equinix into West Africa, giving organizations based inside and outside of Africa access to one of the world’s fastest-growing markets.
FURTHER READING:
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/equinix-expand-africa-acquisition-mainone-080000535.html
