Meta's 2Africa subsea cable, an ambitious infrastructure project spanning 45,000 kilometers, has reached the shores of Lagos State and Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria. This milestone marks a significant advancement in digital connectivity across the African continent. The cable, designed to link 32 African countries, holds the promise of driving economic development and facilitating the expansion of 4G and 5G networks, thereby enhancing broadband access for millions of individuals and businesses throughout Africa.
Bayobab, a leading pan-African provider of digital connectivity solutions, collaborated with MTN Opco's to land the extensive subsea cable at the Mopo-Onibeju Lekki area of Lagos, as reported by Guardian Nigeria. The project's Akwa Ibom segment has landed in Ibeno, handled by the Nigerian Equinix Company, MainOne.
Frédéric Schepens, CEO of Bayobab, highlighted the significance of these landings, marking the fourth in a series of six across five countries. He emphasized the accessibility of world-class capacity for Nigerian service providers through carrier-neutral data centers or open-access cable landing stations.
"The 2Africa initiative is integral to Bayobab's mission, aiming to bridge Africa with the global digital landscape. We remain committed to driving the growth of the African digital economy and fostering positive impacts across the continent," said Schepens.
Josephine Sarouk, Managing Director of Bayobab Nigeria, underscored the transformative potential of the deep-sea cable landing in Nigeria, envisaging a boost to the country's digital economy and the creation of a vibrant ecosystem delivering digital services to millions of Nigerians.
"Our investment in 2Africa reflects our dedication to meeting the evolving needs of our customers, enhancing network resilience and capacity to support the escalating demand for digital services," Sarouk remarked, citing fintech, IoT, AI, and e-learning as sectors poised to benefit from increased connectivity.
The consortium backing the 2Africa subsea cable comprises Meta, China Mobile International, MTN Global Connect, Orange, Vodafone, Egypt Telecom, Saudi Telecom Company, and the West Indian Ocean Cable Company. Together, they aim to revolutionize the connectivity landscape across the region, bringing unprecedented opportunities for growth and development.
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