Airtel launches data centre to support businesses, organisations

… As NDE inaugurates loan schemes for 138 rural farmers in Imo***

Airtel Nigeria, a telecommunications company, on Tuesday, unveiled its 3-tier commercial data centre to support businesses and organisations in the country.

Mr Surendran Chemmenkotil, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Nigeria, made this known during the unveiling of the data centre at Lekki in Lagos State.

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He said the data centre was awarded the high-end Tier 3 ANSI/TIA-942 certification by EPI, the world’s leading certification body for data centres.

Chemmenkotil said that the Airtel ultra-modern data centre runs on superior technology which enabled it to perform efficiently in Nigeria’s tropical climate, while providing multiple paths and backups to its users.

He said that the launch of the centre for commercial use was aimed at promoting digital inclusion and opportunities for entrepreneurs, businesses, and other organisations to enjoy premium data centre services in a reliable facility.

“With over 20 years of extensive telecoms, technological and consumer-empowering operations in Nigeria, we are best positioned to support businesses and government establishments with an incomparable data centre that will help advance commerce.

“The data centre will ultimately expand the nation’s economy, driving growth and prosperity for entrepreneurs and consumers,” Chemmenkotil said.

Also, the Director, Airtel Business, Ogo Ofomata, said Airtel was an inspiration and pioneer of a new wave in Nigeria’s data centre landscape.

According to her, Airtel offers a compelling and affordable data centre to both large enterprises and small and medium scale businesses.

“Airtel data centre and businesses will benefit from uninterrupted power and hyper secure storage for servers and data transmission equipment for various sizes of private and public sector establishments.

Similarly, Mr Hakeem Fahm, Lagos State Commissioner for Science and Technology, commended Airtel for its investment in the development of science and technology in Lagos.

He noted that the Airtel data centre aligned with the state’s mega city plan, especially regarding the government’s aspirations in technology.

“I commend the management of Airtel Nigeria for their impactful contributions in Lagos and the country at large.

“The data centre has further contributed in placing Lagos as a technology hub in the country,” Fahm said.

The newsmen report that the Airtel Data Centre which would begin full operations immediately, possesses multiple paths for power and cooling, as well as redundant systems for staff to work on the setup without taking it offline.

The centre was positioned to power vast financial, communications, and other forms of enterprises both large and small in Nigeria.

In another development, the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) has inaugurated five loan schemes for 138 rural farmers in Imo.

The Director-General of NDE, Mallam Abubakar Nuhu-Fikpo, while inaugurating the schemes in Owerri, on Tuesday, said that the programmes organised by the Directorate’s Department of Rural Employment Promotion (REP) were targeted at unemployed Nigerians living in the rural areas.

Nuhu-Fikpo, represented by the Directorate’s Co-ordinator in Imo, Mrs. Ngozi Ihenacho, said that 100 persons would benefit from the Sustainable Agricultural Development Training Scheme, with each beneficiary receiving an empowerment loan of N100,000.

He added that 15 people would benefit from the Agricultural Enhancement Scheme while 12 others would also benefit from the Sustainable Agricultural Development Empowerment Scheme.

Officials of the National Directorate of Employment and beneficiaries of its loan schemes in Owerri on Tuesday

According to him, eight people would benefit from the Graduate Agricultural Empowerment Scheme, and three others would also benefit from the Community-Based Agricultural Empowerment Scheme.

He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for approving the release of funds for the schemes and urged the beneficiaries to justify the funds released to them by putting them to their best use.

“We are grateful to President Muhammadu Buhari, who graciously and pragmatically continues to support efforts of the NDE to train as many unemployed persons as possible through various schemes.

“I call on you beneficiaries to justify the confidence reposed in you, by judiciously using the money so that others can benefit from your business investments and collectively, we shall eradicate unemployment,’’ he said.

Speaking, the Director of the REP Department, Mr Michael Mbata, noted that the empowerment funds were not grants, but loans meant to be repaid after a period of six months.

Mbata, represented by senior staff of the Department, Mr Paschal Edene, urged the beneficiaries to put the funds to good use adding that repayment of the loans would attract bigger loans.

Also, REP’s Head of Department in Imo, Mrs. Chisara Egwim-Chima, urged the beneficiaries to take advantage of the opportunity to become self-reliant employers of labour, rather than wait for white collar jobs.

Mrs. Irene Ukanwa, who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries, promised that they would use the loans to start new agro-businesses, strengthen existing ones and empower other unemployed persons.