The West Africa Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA) has announced the appointment of its Executive Secretary, Mr. Aliyu Aboki, as a member of the International Advisory Body for Submarine Cable Resilience.
The body, established by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in partnership with the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC), is tasked with enhancing the resilience of submarine telecommunication cables—the backbone of global digital connectivity.
Submarine cables carry over 95% of the world’s Internet traffic, enabling critical services such as financial transactions, government operations, e-commerce, digital health, and education.
According to WATRA, Aboki brings a wealth of experience and a distinctive regional perspective to the Advisory Body’s mission.
“His appointment provides an opportunity for the region to contribute meaningfully to shaping global best practices for the deployment, maintenance, and protection of submarine cables, ensuring a stable and resilient digital ecosystem for millions across the continent,” the Assembly stated in a statement issued on Wednesday.
Network disruption in West Africa
Aboki’s appointment comes at a time when recent disruptions in submarine cable networks have exposed vulnerabilities in West Africa’s digital infrastructure. Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Aboki stated:
“The recent disruptions to telecommunications services across West Africa, caused by damage to vital submarine cables, underscore the fragility of our digital infrastructure.
“These incidents, which affected countries such as Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Liberia, resulted in significant connectivity issues and highlighted the urgent need for enhanced resilience in our submarine cable systems.
“This appointment to the International Advisory Body on Submarine Cable Resilience presents an opportunity to strengthen global collaboration and bring the perspectives of West Africa to the forefront of discussions on protecting these crucial infrastructures.”
More insights
The Advisory Body is co-chaired by Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, and Prof. Sandra Maximiano, Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Communications Authority of the Republic of Portugal (ANACOM).
Its 40 members include Ministers, Heads of Regulatory Authorities, industry executives, and senior experts on the operations of telecommunication cables.
- Members come from all world regions, ensuring diversity and inclusion from countries ranging from small island states to major economies.
- The membership captures the perspectives of those whose livelihoods and digital futures depend on the operation of submarine telecommunication cables, as well as those who work to deploy, maintain, and protect this vital infrastructure.
- The Advisory Body will meet at least two times a year. It will consult with experts on telecommunications, digital resilience infrastructure development, infrastructure investment, and international policy to provide strategic guidance and encourage sector-wide collaboration.
What you should know
- In March this year, several African countries were thrown into a digital blackout as Internet and telecommunication services were cut off due to submarine cable damage.
- This disrupted businesses across banks, stock exchanges, and mobile money transactions, among several others.
- The cable damage occurred somewhere around Senegal and Ivory Coast with similar damage around Portugal. This prompted the global telecom body to find a lasting solution to such incidence across the globe through the establishment of the Advisory Body.