A recent power outage at MainOne's MDXi II data centre in Lagos, Nigeria, caused disruptions to several major banks in the country, underscoring the company's significant role in Nigeria's broadband and data storage market.

The one-hour outage, which occurred on October 9, 2024, was caused by a faulty circuit breaker, according to sources familiar with the matter. The incident affected at least three tier-1 banks, with millions of customers unable to access banking services.

MainOne, a subsidiary of Equinix, is a major player in Nigeria's tech ecosystem, providing broadband and storage services to many of the country's top commercial banks and internet providers. The company's MDXi Lagos data centre has a power capacity of 600 kilowatts and a power density of 3.5 kW per rack, with multiple power sources, including utility and diesel generators.

The outage is not the first incident of its kind for MainOne. In March 2024, the company suffered a major fibre cut in Ghana that knocked many major Nigerian banks offline.

In response to the recent outage, MainOne has set up redundancy measures to prevent future recurrences. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The incident highlights the importance of reliable internet services for Nigeria's commercial banks, which are increasingly reliant on technology to operate. With millions of customers affected, the outage serves as a reminder of the need for robust infrastructure and backup systems to ensure uninterrupted services.