The President of the Republic supervises the inauguration of the Nouakchott Data Center

The President of the Republic H.E. Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ghazouani inaugurated the Nouakchott Data Center in Nouakchott-West on Thursday, the first national facility of its kind, certified to the highest international standards, to store, process and protect sovereign data and provide secure digital services to public and private institutions. H.E. the President of the Republic visited the center and received detailed explanations about it, before unveiling the commemorative plaque and cutting the symbolic ribbon marking the start of the center’s operations.

This inauguration is the translation of an ambitious policy aimed at building an advanced digital infrastructure, the basis for a prosperous digital economy, more efficient public services and a secure information society. This center is not just a technical facility, but a strategic achievement that represents a qualitative leap forward on the road to independent national digital decision-making. The Center has been built and equipped to first-class technical and engineering specifications, to rank among the leading data centers in terms of security, reliability and operational availability.

Among the most important features of the Nouakchott data center are the level 3 certification issued by the AppTime Global Institute, which is awarded exclusively to data centers that guarantee high operational continuity (over 99.982%), thanks to a redundant power and communications infrastructure that ensures uninterrupted service even during maintenance periods, and compliance with the most stringent standards for information security, electrical infrastructure, cooling systems and network connectivity, making the center a reliable environment for hosting the most sensitive applications and systems, as well as a central data exchange point linking service providers.

It also provides a centralized data exchange point linking local and international ISPs and operators, improving Internet quality and speed, reducing dependence on external routes for data traffic, and designing server rooms with “clean room” technology that ensures maximum control of particles, heat and humidity, providing an ideal environment for sensitive computing and mission-critical applications.

The Nouakchott Data Center covers an area of 1372 m² and has a capacity of 100 server bays, expandable in the future to meet the rapid growth in demand for digital services, and offers a comprehensive range of services meeting the needs of different market players, including public administrations, financial institutions, startups and service providers, in particular:

– Cloud hosting within national borders, enabling organizations to ensure the protection of their sovereign data within Mauritania, with flexible access and fast performance.

– Secure backup service, which automatically and securely backs up critical data, minimizing the risk of data loss.

– Business continuity and disaster recovery, to guarantee operational availability in the event of an emergency.

– An ideal environment for artificial intelligence applications, big data analysis and highly sensitive software development, thanks to its clean rooms and advanced engineering and environmental requirements.

The Nouakchott data center embodies this need through:

– National control of data, rather than seeing it fall into the hands of foreign entities.

– Guaranteeing confidentiality and security of data belonging to citizens and institutions.

– Improving transparency and strengthening e-governance.

– Increase the capacity of the public administration to provide efficient and secure electronic services.

– Enhancing the country’s image as a reliable hub for online services.

This project represents a cornerstone in the construction of a strong and independent knowledge economy, paving the way for Mauritania to join the club of emerging digital countries, and reinforcing its readiness to seize the opportunities of the fourth industrial revolution, based on big data, permanent connectivity, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and blockchain.

In a speech delivered on the occasion, the Minister of Digital Transformation and Modernization of Administration, Ahmed Salem Bedda Atchfagha, declared that the inauguration of the National Data Center is a strategic opening onto the future, as it provides digital tools that contribute to the construction of an advanced reality that we create with our will and our spirit.

He stressed that this achievement is the culmination of a successful journey of continuous work in the digitalization sector, in line with the directives of H.E. President of the Republic Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, to strengthen the national path of digital transformation and make it a real priority in government policies.

He added that the center is not just a concrete facility, but also a symbol of digital sovereignty, a national bacon that preserves the memory and reflects the ambitions of a nation confidently advancing towards digital transformation, taking advantage of the technologies of the age and its cultural heritage.

He added that the center represents a qualitative leap forward in securing national data, as it provides a reliable environment for its protection and audit, and puts the keys to sovereign decision-making in our hands, ensuring progress towards a secure and independent digital future.

The Minister praised the efforts of the engineers, developers and all those who have contributed to the project’s success, expressing his deep gratitude to the development partners who have supported this ambitious path.

The representative of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Oswelta Azueta, underlined the importance of this data collection center, recalling that Africa occupies a special place in the Bank’s investment activities.

She noted that the center will enable Mauritania to meet the ever-increasing needs in this field and significantly improve the quality of services.

The center, financed by the Bank to the tune of 15 million euros, will contribute to data collection and facilitate communications, and will benefit 10 Mauritanian towns, as well as some border villages.