In response to recent subsea cable disruptions off the West African coast, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, has announced a collaborative effort with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to protect subsea cables and other digital infrastructure.
Tijani convened with ITU’s Deputy Secretary General, Tomas Lamanauskas, at the organization’s headquarters in Geneva to discuss a review of global regulations involving relevant government and private sector stakeholders. The aim is to bolster global digital resilience strategies.
The discussion also centered on devising investment models to expand broadband penetration worldwide, with Nigeria’s Broadband Alliance and Fibre fund serving as potential models for other global markets.
Emphasizing the significance of regional coalitions in addressing digital infrastructure challenges, Minister Tijani outlined plans to engage African countries and partners in a stakeholder roundtable in Abuja. The objective is to develop strategies for enhancing resilience in digital infrastructure, which is crucial for national development.
The disruptions last week affected Africa’s internet infrastructure significantly, particularly impacting major subsea operators like Seacom, MainOne, and the West African Cable System (WACS). Approximately nine countries are believed to have been affected, with the full extent of the impact on business and financial services across the continent yet to be quantified.
In a previous statement, this platform emphasized the imperative of integrating redundancy and resilience into Africa’s digital backbone. It underscored the significance of recognizing Africa’s digital infrastructure—including subsea cables, cell towers, fiber cables, and data centers—as critical infrastructure deserving robust protection from all stakeholders.
We contend that governments across Africa hold a pivotal responsibility in partnership with private enterprises and international organizations to safeguard digital infrastructure. We commend Nigeria’s Minister for taking proactive steps to address this challenge directly.
