WATRA Warns of Threats to West Africa's Digital Economy

The West African Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA), represented by Mr. Aliyu Aboki, has issued a warning about significant threats to the region's digital economy, which contributes between $100 billion and $150 billion annually. This alarm was raised during the International Submarine Cable Resilience Summit in Porto, Portugal, where Aboki highlighted the fragile foundation of the digital economy, particularly the vulnerability of submarine cables along the West African coast.

He noted that disruptions in 2024 could severely impact bandwidth availability and overwhelm existing redundancies. Aboki called for a shift in perspective regarding submarine cable resilience, advocating for a coordinated policy framework across the 16 member states of WATRA to streamline regulatory processes and enhance cable protection.

He emphasized that without resilient connectivity, the momentum of digital transformation in West Africa cannot be sustained, and he urged for regulatory interventions to address these critical issues.