Nigeria Leads Joint Regional Protection of Undersea Cables in West Africa

Nigeria has taken a pivotal role in advocating for a coordinated and multilateral approach to protect shared telecommunications infrastructure in the West African region.

This comes in response to recent submarine cable cuts that have disrupted connectivity in multiple countries across the continent.

The call for joint protection was made by Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), during the 21st West Africa Telecommunications Regulatory Assembly (WATRA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

Dr. Maida emphasized the importance of securing telecom infrastructure, which is crucial for fostering Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and enhancing investor confidence in the West African sub-region.

He referred to a report by Cloudflare, an IT service management firm, which indicated that about six countries, including four West African countries, still face outages caused by the submarine cable cuts.

The proposed framework for joint monitoring, risk mitigation, and emergency response procedures for the submarine cables passing through the sub-region aims to strengthen sub-regional infrastructure resilience, promote the diversification of the sub-region’s connectivity, and conduct regular capacity assessments.

Furthermore, the initiative seeks to facilitate the designation of telecommunications infrastructure as critical national infrastructure in member countries.

The West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly was established in 2002 as a common platform for national telecommunication regulatory authorities in 16 member states, with the goal of promoting the adoption of regulations that stimulate investment in telecommunication infrastructure to deliver more affordable, accessible, faster, and secure communication services to citizens.

At the 21st WATRA AGM, issues pertaining to accessible and affordable telecommunication services in the sub-region were discussed, including improved consumer protection, quality of service, roaming, and conflict resolution for consumers.

A major highlight of the AGM was the re-election of Nigeria’s Yusuf Aboki as Executive Secretary for a second term in a unanimous vote by the member countries.

Aboki was commended for his firm, inclusive, and visionary leadership, which saw the successful delivery of WATRA’s 2022–2025 Strategic Plan.

As Nigeria continues to lead the way in securing and enhancing telecommunications infrastructure in West Africa, the region is poised to attract more investment, spur economic growth, and enhance its competitiveness on the global stage.

By ensuring the security of these vital assets, the West African sub-region can foster a conducive environment for sustainable economic development and boost investor confidence.