West Africa’s $150bn digital economy at risk without cable resilience

West Africa’s digital economy, valued at up to $150 billion annually, faces growing risk as weak submarine cable resilience threatens the region’s connectivity backbone.

This is even as Aliyu Aboki, executive secretary of the West African Telecommunications Regulators Assembly (WATRA), warning that frequent disruptions could slow economic growth, disrupt businesses, and weaken investor confidence across the region.

Aboki, said West Africa’s fast-growing digital economy is built on a fragile foundation that could slow progress if not urgently strengthened.

West Africa’s economy, valued at over $800 billion, is increasingly powered by digital activities such as fintech, e-commerce, and online services. These sectors are estimated to generate between $100 billion and $150 billion annually, helping countries overcome infrastructure gaps, create jobs, and attract investment.

However, Aboki said this growth is at risk due to weak resilience in submarine cable systems, the invisible backbone of global internet connectivity.

The warning follows a major disruption in March 2024, when multiple submarine cables along the West African coast were damaged at the same time. The incident led to widespread internet outages across several countries, slowing banking services, disrupting businesses, and affecting millions of users.

According to the International Cable Protection Committee, most cable faults are caused by fishing activities, ship anchors, or natural movements under the sea. But the 2024 disruption stood out because of its scale, hitting several cables at once and cutting available bandwidth by more than half in some countries.

West Africa relies on key cable systems such as West Africa Cable System (WACS), Africa Coast to Europe (ACE), and MainOne Cable. While these systems provide large capacity, their similar routes mean a single incident can disrupt multiple networks at the same time.

Aboki stressed that this shows a critical lesson, in that, having more capacity does not guarantee resilience.

Globally, more than 95 percent of internet traffic runs through submarine cables, a figure often highlighted by the International Telecommunication Union. In West Africa, where digital adoption is rising quickly, any disruption directly affects economic activity, leading to lost transactions, reduced productivity, and lower investor confidence.

“Resilience must be treated as an economic priority, not an afterthought,” Aboki said, noting that investors now consider infrastructure reliability when making funding decisions.

He explained that poor resilience increases risks, raising insurance costs and making it harder to attract investment. On the other hand, strong and reliable systems can unlock funding and improve long-term growth.

A key challenge, he noted, is the mismatch between regional infrastructure and national regulations. While submarine cables operate across countries, policies such as permits, repairs, and protection rules differ from one nation to another.

This lack of coordination can delay repairs during outages, especially when issues like customs clearance and port access arise. In some cases, it takes days to fix damaged cables, worsening economic losses.

To address this, WATRA is pushing for stronger regional cooperation among its 16 member countries. Proposed measures include harmonised permitting processes, better cable protection laws, shared data on outages, and faster emergency response systems.

Aboki emphasised that resilience should also be built into new investments from the start. This includes designing cable routes that avoid shared risks and ensuring infrastructure can withstand disruptions.

The cost of repairing submarine cables remains high. A single repair can cost between $1.5 million and $2 million, while complex cases involving multiple cables can rise to $8 million. The shortage of specialised repair vessels in Africa further delays recovery efforts.

Beyond infrastructure, Aboki highlighted the human impact of poor connectivity. He explained that disruptions affect not only large companies but also small businesses and individuals who rely on the internet for daily income.

From online traders in Lagos to digital payment users in local markets, outages can mean immediate loss of revenue with little protection.

He said, “Resilience connects everyone in the economy, from small traders to multinational companies. When it fails, the impact is immediate.”

The 2024 disruption, he added, should serve as a wake-up call. While it exposed weaknesses, it also created an opportunity for reform.

Experts at the summit agreed that if West Africa integrates resilience into policy, investment, and infrastructure design, the region can secure a stronger future for its digital economy.

For a region betting heavily on technology to drive growth and inclusion, the message is clear: resilience is not optional; it is the foundation of sustainable economic progress.