Huawei Cloud to Give 100 Nigerian Startups $10 million Free Credits

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Chinese tech giant Huawei is making a play for the booming Nigerian cloud market by offering $10 million worth of free cloud credits to 100 startups. This move mirrors similar strategies by established cloud giants like Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, all aiming to attract new clients and foster long-term relationships.

Free credits act as an initial incentive, but Huawei recognizes the need for additional strategies to capture a significant market share. Many Nigerian startups are actively seeking ways to reduce their cloud service costs, which are often denominated in US dollars (USD). While Huawei also charges in USD currently, they claim to be working towards accepting local currency payments in the future.

Despite being a relative newcomer to the cloud scene, Huawei has already secured some major clients in Africa. OPay, a Chinese fintech startup, is a notable example, along with Eden Life and Feather Africa. The African cloud market as a whole is experiencing rapid growth, with demand for services projected to rise at a rate of 25-30% annually. Major players like AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure are all increasing their investments in the continent to capitalize on this trend.

Huawei emphasizes affordability as a key focus, aiming to onboard 10,000 startups globally by 2025. They've already surpassed 3,000 sign-ups, with some located in African countries. This initiative, combined with the potential for local currency payments, suggests Huawei is committed to becoming a major player in the African cloud market.

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