- The massive 2Africa submarine internet cable has made an important landing in one of Nigeria’s poorest regions.
- 2Africa connects various African regions to Europe, allowing for faster and more stable broadband internet on the continent.
- This latest landing in Akra Ibom State, Nigeria, has the potential to create new jobs and economically uplift the region.
The continent-spanning 2Africa cable has just made a new landing in West Africa, set to provide a more reliable internet connection to the region of Akra Ibom State in Nigeria. According to West African digital infrastructure firm MainOne – part of the Equinix Group – the latest landing is the first submarine cable landing in Nigeria outside of Lagos.
“2Africa serves as a catalyst for the advancement of 4G, 5G and fixed broadband accessibility, extending its impact to billions of people. Akwa Ibom’s selection as a landing site underscores its strategic importance in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey,” shares MainOne in an announcement sent to Hypertext.
The landing at Akra Ibom will help address the critical needs for digital connectivity in the region. The state is the highest oil-producing region in the country but has one of the lowest standards of living in the country due to years of systemic corruption.
Maine One says that the landing will enable it to establish a terrestrial metro fibre network in Akwa Ibom State and the entire South-South Nigeria, allowing businesses and homes in the region to connect to the submarine cable system and thus to faster, more stable internet.
Spanning 45 000km in length, 2Africa will be one of the world’s largest subsea cable projects and will interconnect Europe, Asia, and Africa, with a design capacity of up to 180Tbps. Last year it landed in the Eastern Cape of South Africa thanks in part to Vodacom.
At that time, the landing in Eastern Cape capital of Gqeberha was expected to stoke job creation in the city, among the poorest in the country. Vodacom predicts that connectivity from the cable could grow the economy from $26.2 billion to $36.9 billion in three years of being operational.
Similar benefits could be expected in Akra Ibom. “The terrestrial metro fiber network will address internet distribution constraints across the Southern and North-Central region of Nigeria, bridging the gap in unserved and underserved areas,” the announcement reads.
Social and economic benefits expected include the fostering innovation, as well as entrepreneurship, job creation, and improved public service delivery.
“MainOne is dedicated to improving internet capacity and driving various aspects of development, including economic growth, digital transformation, healthcare, security, agriculture, and increased state revenue in South-South Nigeria,” enthused Abayomi Adebanjo, Regional Business Head, MainOne, at the cable landing in South Nigeria.
[Image – Provided]
