The West African Telecommunications Regulators Assembly has warned that submarine cable disruptions and weak digital resilience could pose growing risks to West Africa’s fast-expanding digital economy, estimated at over $100 billion, as the region becomes increasingly dependent on fintech, broadband connectivity, and digital entrepreneurship.
Speaking at the International Submarine Cable Resilience Summit 2026 in Porto, Portugal, on the urgent need for stronger infrastructure safeguards, Aliyu Yusuf Aboki, executive secretary of WATRA, said resilience must now be treated as an economic priority rather than a technical afterthought.
According to him, the 2024 undersea cable disruptions, which caused internet traffic in some countries to fall by more than 50 percent, exposed how vulnerable the region remains to shocks affecting critical connectivity systems.
“West Africa’s digital economy is growing rapidly, powered by mobile broadband, fintech, e-commerce, and a new generation of entrepreneurs. But much of that growth depends on infrastructure that remains invisible until it fails,” Aboki said.
Repair Costs Rising, Recovery Slower
WATRA noted that repairing submarine cable faults in West Africa is inherently expensive due to the limited availability of specialised vessels stationed on the continent.
A single cable repair operation is typically estimated at $1.5 million to $2 million, with mobilisation of repair ships from distant hubs such as Cape Town accounting for a significant share of the cost.
In more severe incidents involving multiple cable faults, costs can escalate to as much as $8 million, while restoration timelines often lag global benchmarks.
“When specialised vessels must travel long distances before repair work can begin, downtime becomes longer and more expensive. That delay has real economic consequences,” Aboki added.
Beyond Infrastructure: Impact on Livelihoods
WATRA stressed that resilience is not only about cables and networks—it is about protecting jobs, incomes, and business continuity across the region.
According to the Assembly, uninterrupted connectivity allows millions of Africans to participate in the digital economy daily, from small merchants accepting mobile payments to startups running online operations.
“It is what allows a young entrepreneur in Lagos selling furniture on Instagram to continue receiving orders. It is what enables a grocery distributor relying on digital payments to keep business moving even when systems are under pressure,” Aboki said.
At a broader level, banks processing millions of transactions, logistics firms coordinating regional trade, and telecom operators delivering data services all rely on stable connectivity.
When disruptions occur, the costs are immediate such as lost revenue, delayed trade, failed transactions, lower consumer confidence, and reduced productivity.
Need for Policy and Investment Reform
WATRA said the 2024 disruptions should serve as a wake-up call for governments, regulators, investors, and infrastructure operators across the sub-region.
The Assembly called for resilience to be embedded into infrastructure planning, redundant network design, emergency response systems, regional cooperation frameworks, and sustainable financing models.
“For West Africa, resilience is not optional. It is foundational. Without it, economic growth remains exposed to avoidable shocks,” Aboki stated.
A Real-Time Economy with Little Margin for Error
Unlike mature markets with multiple redundancies and institutional safety nets, much of West Africa’s digital economy operates in real time, with limited buffers against disruption.
For many SMEs, traders, fintech users, and informal businesses, even short outages can translate directly into lost income.
WATRA concluded that strengthening digital resilience will be essential to unlocking the next phase of West Africa’s economic transformation and ensuring that connectivity remains a reliable engine of inclusion, innovation, and trade.
* The West African Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA) is the regional body of telecom regulators in West Africa, promoting harmonised policy, collaboration, and digital market development across member states.
