Nigeria, ITU seek collective action to adress submarine cable disruptions

By Jessica Dogo

The Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) have called for collective action to address submarine cables disruptions and cuts globally.

The two organisations made the call at the opening ceremony of the maiden ITU International Submarine Cable Resilience Summit on Wednesday in Abuja.

They said that the disruptions could slow down the growth and development of digital economy in the world.

The Secretary-General of ITU, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, said that global attention should be focused on measures to sustain the spate of rapid developments in the digital economy sector.

Bogdan-Martin said that submarine cables connectivity accounted for 95 per cent of the digital economy backbone.

She said that at the moment, digital economy accounted for the greater part of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), adding that it is expected to hit 16.5 trillion dollars by 2028.

According to her, the past two decades have seen a vast digital shift, with new socio-economic opportunities as well as challenges.

“The number of internet users in 2005 during the world summit 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, it is estimated that more than two-thirds of the new value creation could come from digitally-enabled companies.

“This global undersea network is emblematic of the innovation and the investment required to connect the world meaningfully.” Bogdan-Martin said.

She said that despite the resilience of undersea cables, about 200 disruptions were witnessed yearly, while fixing them across continents and countries is difficult and slow.

She said that the global economy felt the impact of submarine cable cuts and disruptions.

According to her, submarine cables are put in place by an interplay of technology, business, and policy that has to be considered holistically.

“That is why this summit includes a diversity of stakeholders that are essential to this conversation,” she said.

Bogdan-Martin commended Nigeria for hosting the event.

She called on the ITU advisory body, the academia and other stakeholders to work toward a lasting solution to the challenges of undersea cables cuts and disruptions.

The Co-Chair of the Advisory Board for ITU, Prof. Sandra Maximiano, underscored the importance of the board for submarine cable business and economy at the summit.

Maximiano said that positive developments had been witnessed in the industry.

“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.

“Nigeria is served by several submarine cable systems, many of which also land in my home country, Portugal, including Maniwari.

“But the Africa coast to Europe, Etihanu, and to Africa, other Western African countries are served by only a single submarine cable,” Maximiano said.

Earlier, the Minister of Communications, Innovations and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, said that submarine cable disruption was a global imperative.

Tijani said that it affected the financial market, trade, education, health systems, and even governance, adding that it was not a technical or industry-specific challenge.

According to the minister, 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 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 outcome of this summit will not only influence policy and investment decisions, but also serve as the foundation for global cooperation and long-term resilience,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the two-day summit is being attended by more than 300 delegates from the 194 all ITU-member countries.

Also attending are the Executive Vice-Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Aminu Maida, and the Permanent-Secretary, Ministry of Communications, Innovations and Digital Economy, Faruk Yabo.

Others are the Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Malam Kashifu Inuwa;  the National Commissioner, Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr Vincent Olatunji; and the Managing Director, NigComSat, Mrs Jane Egerton-Idehen. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Kadiri Abdulrahman