By Milcah Tanimu

Nigeria has urged a collaborative and coordinated effort among West African nations to jointly protect shared telecommunications infrastructure and enhance connectivity diversification, ensuring uninterrupted services.

Dr. Reuben Muoka, Director of Public Affairs at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), conveyed this message following recent incidents of undersea cable disruptions impacting connectivity across the region.

During the 21st West Africa Telecommunications Regulatory Assembly (WATRA) Annual General Meeting held in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice-Chairman of NCC, emphasized the importance of regional collaboration in safeguarding telecommunications infrastructure.

Maida highlighted the significance of securing telecom infrastructure for attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and bolstering investor confidence. He stressed that the reliability and resilience of telecommunications networks are crucial factors influencing regional investment opportunities.

Referencing a report by Cloudflare, Maida pointed out ongoing outages in six countries, including four West African nations, due to submarine cable cuts. He emphasized the urgent need for a regional mechanism to protect submarine infrastructure and mitigate associated risks.

Proposing a framework for joint monitoring, risk mitigation, and emergency response procedures, Maida recommended expanding the mandate of the WATRA Working Group on Infrastructure. This expansion would facilitate the development of comprehensive strategies to safeguard telecommunications networks and associated infrastructure.

The goals of the Working Group include enhancing sub-regional infrastructure resilience, promoting connectivity diversification, and conducting regular capacity assessments. Additionally, it aims to designate telecommunications infrastructure as critical national assets in member countries.

Established in 2002, WATRA serves as a platform for national telecommunication regulatory authorities across 16 member states. The organization focuses on promoting regulations that stimulate investment in telecommunication infrastructure, aiming to deliver more affordable, accessible, and secure communication services to citizens.

The AGM also addressed issues such as consumer protection, quality of service, roaming, and conflict resolution. Nigeria’s Yusuf Aboki was re-elected as Executive Secretary for a second term, praised for his exemplary leadership and successful delivery of WATRA’s strategic plan.

Nigeria encourages Aboki to build on past achievements, fostering stronger partnerships and deeper collaboration to advance the interests of WATRA and the sub-region as a whole.