Maryam Aminu
Following recent undersea cable cuts that challenged connectivity in many countries in the West African region, Nigeria has called for a coordinated and multilateral approach by the region to protect shared telecommunications infrastructure, and diversify connectivity to ensure uninterruptible connections.
The Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Aminu Maida, made the submission at the 21st West Africa Telecommunications Regulatory Assembly (WATRA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Freetown, Sierra Leone, between March 19th and 22nd 2024.
Dr. Maida, whose message was represented at the forum by the Deputy Director, Public Affairs of the Commission, Nnenna Ukoha, stated that the recent submarine cable cuts that resulted in nationwide outages on multiple networks in 12 African countries has raised the urgent need for the sub-region to establish a mechanism to protect itself from damage to submarine infrastructure and its attendant impact on the sub-region.
Maida in a statement by the Director, Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka on Sunday, disclosed that the recent submarine cable cuts that resulted in nationwide outages on multiple networks in 12 African countries raised the urgent need for the subregion to establish a mechanism to protect itself from damage to submarine infrastructure and its attendant impact on the subregion
The Executive Vice Chairman referred to a report by Cloudflare, an IT service management firm, which indicates that about six countries, including four West African countries, still suffers outages caused by the submarine cable cuts.
“Securing telecom infrastructure is paramount for fostering Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and enhancing investor confidence in the West African sub-region.The reliability and resilience of telecommunications networks are crucial factors that investors consider when evaluating regional opportunities.” He added
“By ensuring the security of these vital assets, we can attract more investment, spur economic growth, and enhance our competitiveness on the global stage
He noted that a secured telecom infrastructure not only facilitates efficient communication and connectivity but also signals a commitment to safeguarding critical assets essential for business operations
The EVC recommended that the WATRA Working Group on infrastructure should expand it’s mandate to superhead the development of a comprehensive strategy to safeguard the subregion’s telecommunications networks and associated infrastructure thereby proactively bolstering resilience through improved disaster response protocols to better insulate ourselves from future disruptions
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