Africa's largest wireless operator is stepping up its AI infrastructure build and is planning to invest in data centers.

The CEO of MTN Group, the largest wireless operator in Africa, Mupita, stated in an interview that the group is in negotiations with companies from the United States and Europe with plans to build data centers on the African continent to power artificial intelligence services. Mupita said the group will provide funding for part of the investment needed to expand artificial intelligence data centers directly in Africa, and is currently in discussions with potential global partners. Their plan is to build data center facilities, sign tenants to provide AI computing services, and then rent out computing power to other businesses and governments on the African continent. The group is also considering equipping data centers with their own hardware. MTN has started building its first data center in Nigeria, with an estimated cost of $240 million.