Cloud computing firm UniCloud Africa and state-run Benue Digital Infrastructure Company (BDIC) will build a data center in Benue, Nigeria.

Set to be located in the state capital of Makurdi, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will see UniCloud Africa provide the necessary cloud infrastructure for the site.

Pan-African data center operator Africa Data Centres will build a complimentary disaster recovery site in Abuja, Nigeria.

The project is estimated to cost 10.8 billion naira ($6.6 million) and will be completed in six months.

Sam Ode, the deputy governor of the state and chairman of the BDIC, said: "With this project, BDIC is taking a bold step towards transforming Benue into a digital hub. This initiative has the potential to unlock a brighter future for the state and its people, embracing the undeniable potential of the digital age.”

Other partners in the project are Cedarview Communication Limited, which will provide the network infrastructure, and SIT Consulting, in charge of the software development on the project.

Founded in 2023, UniCloud Africa currently operates in Nigeria, South Africa, and Ghana, and has projects going live in Kenya, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Tanzania later this year.

Africa Data Centres has previously partnered with African cloud and colo provider PAIX Data Centres on an expansion project in Accra, Ghana, and with Onix Data Centres for a data center, also located in Accra. UniCloud Africa was also a partner in the latter deal.

Nigeria is currently home to two data center markets in Lagos and in Abuja. Earlier this month, MTN Nigeria announced plans to build a large data center in Lagos.