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The Federal Government of Nigeria and the International Telecommunication Union have called for global collaboration to address the increasing disruptions and damages to submarine cables.
They warned that such incidents pose a threat to the growth and sustainability of the digital economy worldwide.
Speaking at the International Submarine Cable Resilience Summit, hosted by Nigeria in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, called for global efforts to prioritise submarine cable resilience, describing the issue as a strategic imperative that affects multiple sectors.
Tijani said, “Under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, Nigeria is committed to strengthening its digital infrastructure and advancing policies that support connectivity, innovation, and economic growth.
“We are taking decisive steps as a nation to recognise and protect the government’s infrastructure as critical national infrastructure, aligning with our broader efforts to enhance digital resilience across all sectors.
“As a government, we are also deeply invested in leveraging digital property infrastructure, promoting global access, and expanding broadband penetration, ensuring that connectivity remains a catalyst for economic transformation and revolution.
“The outcomes of this summit will not only influence policy and investment decisions but also serve as the foundation for global cooperation and long-term resilience.”
Also speaking, the Secretary-General of ITU, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, stressed the need for urgent measures to safeguard submarine cable networks, which form 95 per cent of global digital connectivity infrastructure.
Bogdan-Martin noted that the digital economy has grown exponentially, now accounting for a significant portion of the world’s Gross Domestic Product.
She projected that the sector would be worth $16.5tn by 2028, outpacing overall global GDP growth.
“Since the 2005 World Summit on the increasing society, the number of internet users back then in 2005 stood at one billion. At the end of last year, we had 5.5 billion internet users and today, the global digital economy is growing faster than global GDP and is expected to reach 16.5 trillion U.S. dollars by 2028.
“Over the next decade, some estimates that more than two-thirds of the new value creation could come from digitally-enabled companies. As our economies and digital innovations grow, and as we seek to bring meaningful connectivity to all, so does our reliance on digital infrastructure like submarine cables.
“This global undersea network is emblematic of the innovation and the investment required to connect the world meaningfully,” she said.
Bogdan-Martin raised concerns over the frequency of submarine cable disruptions, revealing that an estimated 200 incidents occur annually, making repairs across continents complex and time-consuming.
She added that these disruptions affect economies globally, as submarine cables are integral to finance, trade, education, health, and governance.
She commended Nigeria for hosting the summit, urging the ITU advisory board, academia, and key stakeholders to develop a strategy that strengthens the resilience of undersea cable infrastructure.
At the event, the Co-Chair of the ITU Advisory Board, Sandra Maximiano, stressed the critical role of submarine cable businesses in the global economy.
Maximiano noted that recent developments in the industry had brought greater awareness to the need for enhanced security and redundancy in subsea networks.
“It is no coincidence that we are meeting here in Abuja today, given that several cable cuts occurred in March last year affecting multiple countries in West Africa, including Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire, and Senegal.
“This incident highlighted the critical importance of subsea cable businesses in this region, with some estimates indicating that over 70 million customers were infected.
“While Nigeria is served by several submarine cable systems, many of which also land in my home country, Portugal, including MainOne, Africa Coast to Europe, and Equiano to Africa, other Western African countries. They are served by only a single submarine cable,” Maximiano said.
The two-day summit attracted over 300 delegates from ITU’s 194 member countries, bringing together government representatives, telecom operators, policymakers, and technology experts to discuss strategies for protecting global undersea cable networks.
Also present at the event were the Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr Aminu Maida; the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Faruk Yabo; the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Malam Kashifu Inuwa; the National Commissioner of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Dr Vincent Olatunji; and the Managing Director of NigComSat, Mrs Jane Egerton-Idehen.
