Nigeria’s next leap in intelligent infrastructure may not begin inside vast technology campuses or energy-hungry data centres instead but may rise from thousands of solar-powered streetlights stretching across communities and highways in Katsina State, each one illuminating the night while carrying the computing power of the digital age.
That vision moved closer to reality after Katsina State signed a landmark agreement with greentech firm Conflow Power Group Limited (CPG), in partnership with Mora Energy, for the deployment of 50,000 solar-powered iLamp units. Far more than ordinary streetlights, the system is designed to embed distributed artificial intelligence computing infrastructure directly into public lighting, a concept its developers describe as the first of its kind on the African continent.
If successfully implemented, the initiative would position Katsina not just as a participant in the global smart city movement but as something more ambitious - Africa’s first AI-powered smart state, where intelligent infrastructure is spread across an entire region rather than confined to a single urban district.
At the heart of the project are the iLamp units, solar-powered smart streetlights built to function independently of the national electricity grid. Each unit carries a dual purpose: lighting streets while simultaneously acting as a revenue-generating distributed AI data centre capable of supporting advanced computing workloads.
The technology integrates a wide range of capabilities into a single installation. Every iLamp is designed to include AI-enabled cameras and monitoring systems that can assist with public safety, traffic management and the protection of infrastructure, subject to regulatory approvals and established data governance frameworks. Alongside these capabilities, the network will deliver public WiFi access, Bluetooth connectivity and high-efficiency LED lighting, all powered entirely by solar energy and designed to operate without additional operational costs to the state.
The project also enters the global conversation about the environmental impact of artificial intelligence infrastructure. Around the world, traditional data centres have come under increasing scrutiny due to their enormous electricity consumption and the vast quantities of water required for cooling. In response, several states have imposed moratoriums on new data centre developments.
The iLamp system presents a radically different model by distributing computing capacity across thousands of solar-powered nodes, the network eliminates the need for water cooling and draws zero electricity from national power grids.
For Edward Fitzpatrick, Chief Executive Officer of Conflow Power Group, the Katsina agreement represents a significant moment in the evolution of AI infrastructure worldwide. He described the deal as a turning point that challenges conventional thinking about how computing power can be delivered.
According to Fitzpatrick, Katsina became the first Nigerian state to complete the extensive engagement process required for the project. Ministries carefully reviewed issues including land use, highway regulations, security frameworks and data protection standards, ensuring that the initiative met regulatory expectations before advancing to final approval.
He contrasted the project’s approach with traditional data centre construction, which often demands around 300 megawatts of grid power, millions of litres of cooling water and several years of development. By comparison, the Katsina system introduces 13.75 PetaOPS of computing capability through solar-powered iLamp posts that can become operational from the moment they are installed.
The partnership is also expected to stimulate local industrial development. Fitzpatrick revealed that CPG plans to establish its first factory in Katsina, alongside the creation of what the company describes as Nigeria’s first Green Utility, a step intended to strengthen transparency, sustainability and long-term success for the project.
If the project unfolds as envisioned, thousands of solar-powered lights will soon begin appearing across the state and behind the glow of those lights will be something far more significant, an intelligent network performing advanced computing tasks, strengthening connectivity, supporting public safety systems and demonstrating how innovation can emerge from the most familiar pieces of everyday infrastructure.
In that sense, the story unfolding in Katsina is not simply about lighting streets but about reimagining infrastructure itsel, where the poles that brighten the night also power the digital engines of tomorrow’s Nigeria.
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