The government of Katsina State in Nigeria has signed an agreement with Conflow Power Group, a UK-based green technology company, to install 50,000 solar-powered streetlights that double as a decentralized artificial intelligence (AI) data center. This initiative represents a significant step in using Internet of Things (IoT) technology to build smarter cities.
According to the Katsina State Government, these units—called “iLamps”—will be installed throughout the state. Each lamp post combines street lighting with built-in edge computing capabilities.
Every iLamp runs on solar energy and features integrated AI processing power. It can also provide public Wi-Fi, Bluetooth connectivity, and LED lighting. Additionally, the units may include AI-powered cameras and surveillance systems, depending on local laws and data privacy regulations.
The deal came after a thorough public-private partnership review involving several departments of the Katsina State government. Officials evaluated factors such as land use, urban planning, highway rules, data protection, cybersecurity, and public safety before giving approval.
Conflow stated that deploying all 50,000 units would generate 13.75 PetaOPS of distributed computing power. The entire system operates solely on solar energy—without drawing from the national power grid or using water-based cooling—making it a sustainable alternative to traditional centralized data centers.
Rather than housing computing resources in one large facility, this approach spreads processing power across thousands of street-level nodes embedded in existing urban infrastructure, creating a vast IoT network designed for smart city applications.
Edward Fitzpatrick, CEO of Conflow Power Group, commented: “This agreement marks a turning point in how the world views AI infrastructure. We’re proud that Katsina is the first Nigerian state to finalize this process with us. Every ministry asked the right questions and confirmed compliance with land use, highway regulations, data protection, and security before recommending approval to the Governor.”
He added: “Unlike conventional data centers—which often need 300 megawatts of grid electricity, millions of liters of cooling water, and years to build—Katsina’s 13.75 PetaOPS of computing capacity will be delivered via solar-powered iLamps that are operational from day one. As the first state to complete this process, Katsina will host CPG’s first manufacturing facility and become home to Nigeria’s first Green Utility.”
Mora Energy, Conflow’s exclusive deployment partner in Nigeria, will oversee the installation across Katsina State. Over the past five months, the two companies have also engaged in talks with seven other Nigerian state governments, as well as universities, private firms, and religious organizations, about expanding similar IoT-based smart city projects.
Stanley Chuka-Umeora, founder of Mora Energy, said: “The preparation to reach this stage was extensive, but now the real work begins. We’ll deploy a cutting-edge streetlight network that enhances public safety, brings AI capabilities to local communities, and positions Nigeria as a key player in global AI computing. We’re proud of our entire team and excited about what lies ahead.”
The Katsina project is part of a broader rollout plan in Nigeria. Conflow has indicated that if ongoing discussions with federal, state, and institutional stakeholders lead to contracts, more than 300,000 iLamp units could eventually be deployed nationwide.
The company is also exploring a potential installation along the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, though no formal agreement has been announced yet.
In Katsina, officials describe the initiative as a core component of a wider “smart state” vision—one that integrates lighting, communication networks, and distributed computing into public infrastructure, in line with broader smart city and IoT development goals.
Dr. Hafiz Ibrahim Ahmad, Special Adviser on Power and Energy for Katsina State, stated: “Today, Katsina becomes Nigeria’s leading state in data center capability and hosts the only distributed AI data center of its kind in all of Africa.”
He continued: “Every lamp installed, every unit of computing power, and every naira earned is fully traceable and auditable. For the people of Katsina, the impact is transformative: safer streets, real-time crime and terrorism prevention, free public internet access, and a new revenue stream that benefits the state directly.”
Over the last five months, executives from Conflow and Mora Energy—including Stanley Chuka-Umeora, Anthony Chuka-Umeora, and Labo Muhammad Mahuta—have conducted parallel negotiations with seven Nigerian state governments, universities, private companies, and religious campuses regarding large-scale deployments of iLamp-based smart city infrastructure.
If all currently negotiated agreements are finalized, the total program could exceed 300,000 iLamp units across federal, state, and institutional sites throughout Nigeria.
