PowerHouse Data Centers assists the West African digital transformation

Author: Isha Jain

PowerHouse Data Centers, a division of American Real Estate Partners (AREP), along with the International Data Center Authority (IDCA) and the Loudoun County Department of Economic Development, recently came together for an official state visit from representatives of the Republic of Ghana, including Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful. The Ghanaian government is being assisted by IDCA with the aim to position the country as a leading digital hub in Africa with the help of data centre leaders in the Ashburn area.

An important stop on the itinerary for Owusu-Ekuful’s delegation was a tour of PowerHouse Data Centers’ recently constructed ABX-1 facility. When requested by IDCA, PowerHouse welcomed the opportunity to showcase its latest in powered shell development. Powered shells and their phased approach can potentially be a useful strategy for Ghanaian development, as they provide the ability to leverage the efficiencies of data centre construction while optimising future flexibility.

“We’re always eager to build relationships and provide educational opportunities wherever we can,” explains Luke Kipfer, Vice President at PowerHouse Data Centers.

Also facilitating and assisting in the visit is the Loudoun County Department of Economic Development. “As one of the world’s most significant tech hubs, we are always proud to host communities from around the world in Loudoun,” says the Department Executive Director, Buddy Rizer, who attended the PowerHouse tour and following luncheon event hosted by Loudoun County. “We’re excited about our new partnership with the country of Ghana, and are happy to host them and have the opportunity to learn from each other.”

The digital sector in Ghana is poised for impressive progress as it continues its transition toward a tech based economy. The nation is already a leading light in digital transformation in Africa, with its digital sectors displaying impressive growth figures of nearly 20% annually, emerging as a leader in African e-government practices, and ranking top three in the continent for overall tech adoption. Last year the World Bank provided $200 million to the government of Ghana intended to expand networks and stimulate further digital innovation. The funding spurred the creation of the Ghana Digital Acceleration Project, led by communications and Digitalisation Minister, Owusu-Ekuful. IDCA leads this mission by helping the nation build a complete end-to-end digital transformation roadmap. The project is inclusive of national standardisation, national education and national digital hub economic zones, and also raising $4 billion of funds to help inject in the West African digital economy. The Republic of Ghana, led by its honourable minister, signed the digital transformation agreement with IDCA during this visit.

Owusu-Ekuful and her entire cabinet have now travelled to Ashburn to meet with certain data centre alley movers and shakers. The purpose of the official visit is complementary to visiting IDCA and agreement signing, suggested by IDCA, with the goal of showcasing digital economy evolution and development models and best practices in the interest of future-proofing Ghana’s tech sector for digital economic development.

The Ghana delegation’s activities in the US are sponsored by the International Data Center Authority (IDCA), an association focused on fostering the development of sustainable digital economies around the world. Their visit includes the establishment of an agreement between the Republic of Ghana and the IDCA.

“It’s been our pleasure to drive this initiative for Ghana and West Africa,” says Mehdi Paryavi, IDCA Founder and Chairman. “We’re always privileged to be able to empower others by exchanging digital infrastructure and digital economy knowledge with others around the globe.”