Nigeria is in advanced discussions with Alphabet Inc’s Google about building a new undersea fibre-optic cable to strengthen the country’s digital infrastructure and resilience, senior government officials have said. The talks aim to reduce Nigeria’s reliance on existing subsea connections and improve internet reliability and speed for businesses, consumers and the broader economy.
The current network of undersea cables connecting Nigeria to Europe and other parts of the world largely follows similar routes, which officials say creates a “single point of failure” if disruptions occur. A new cable backed by Google would offer an alternative link and help safeguard against outages caused by damage, technical issues or other interruptions.
Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), confirmed that discussions with Google are at an advanced stage, though he did not disclose specific timelines or funding details. The aim is to attract private sector expertise and investment to upgrade Nigeria’s digital backbone and support expanding demand for high-capacity internet services.
Undersea cables are crucial for global internet traffic, carrying data between continents at high speeds. Nigeria currently relies on several major cables, but recent incidents in the West African region have highlighted the vulnerability of the network to faults and cuts. Greater redundancy with new connections could help ensure more consistent service, support innovation and reduce the social and economic costs of disruptions.
Improving connectivity has broad economic implications. Faster and more reliable internet can help attract foreign investment, boost digital businesses, and expand opportunities in fintech, e-commerce and other technology-driven sectors. When Google’s Equiano subsea cable first landed in Nigeria, official projections suggested it could support significant growth in jobs and economic output by lowering data costs and increasing capacity.
Industry analysts say a new cable deal with a global tech company like Google could enhance Nigeria’s competitive position in the digital economy and stimulate greater participation in global data flows. For users, the benefits might include improved access to online services, reduced latency and more affordable connectivity, which are essential for education, business and communication in the modern age.
