JUST IN: Google’s Subsea Cable Arrives In Nigeria

Google has announced the arrival of its subsea cable which aims to improve broadband penetration, and quality of service and advance the digital economy in Nigeria by 2025.

In a blog post signed by Google’s West African Director, Juliet Ehimuan, the company announced that the cable landed in Lagos today, making it its second successful landing in Africa after it reached Togo last month.

According to Ehimuan, these are the first in a series of landings on the continent for the subsea cable, which will run from Portugal along Africa’s west coast to South Africa. The company also announced that the cable has been named after a Nigerian.

“Today, we’re thrilled to announce our second Africa landing in Lagos, Nigeria. While many subsea cables are named after historical luminaries, the Equiano cable has special resonance for Nigeria. It’s named after Olaudah Equiano, a Nigerian-born writer and abolitionist, so its landing in Lagos, Nigeria today is like a homecoming,” Ehimuan said.

Equiano is part of Google’s plan to invest $1bn in Africa in the next five years to support the digital transformation.

Ehimuan highlighted the fact that the lack of access to affordable and quality internet services has hindered the potential that Nigeria has to grow. It added that businesses and startups in Nigeria have benefitted exponentially from internet usage, however, studies show that faster internet connections would accelerate those benefits.

“Nigeria is sub-Saharan Africa’s largest economy. Still, the share of people using the internet stood at approximately 35% as of 2020 – double what it was in 2012. Across much of the country, people lack affordable, reliable & quality access, which limits their ability to benefit from, and contribute to, the digital economy.

“Though a great deal of progress has been made, studies suggest that faster internet connections, better user experiences, and reduced internet costs will help accelerate these benefits.

“Landing this cable comes as part of critical stages leading up to its deployment later this year, and it is expected to deliver up to 20 times more capacity than the region’s prior cables. We’ve worked with established partners and in-country experts to ensure that Equiano has the greatest potential effect in Nigeria and throughout Africa,” she said.

Ehimuan revealed that according to a recent economic impact assessment, the arrival of the cable is expected to result in faster internet speeds and significantly improve people’s experiences while online.

“Internet speeds in Nigeria are expected to grow almost sixfold by 2025, and retail internet prices are forecasted to decline by 21% over the same period.

“The same study found that by 2025, real GDP in Nigeria is forecast to be USD 10.1 billion higher than it otherwise would have been without Equiano and that the cable would indirectly generate roughly 1.6 million new jobs between 2022 and 2025,” she said.

She said Google is partnering with West Indian Ocean Cable Company and that they look forward to being a more integral part of the digital transformation journey in Nigeria.

“We are partnering with multiple key telecom players, including our landing party, the West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC), where Equiano lands to ensure that the cable can reach more businesses and end-users across Nigeria and the African continent more broadly.

“With Equiano, we look forward to being an even more integral part of the digital transformation journey in Nigeria,” she said.

As previously reported by THE WHISTLER, Google had announced that it would work with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to drive national targets for ubiquitous broadband access.

According to the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Equiano will reduce the cost of retail data in the country. He added that the partnership would speed up the digital economy and commitment to improving national security targets of the country through technological advancement.

“I am hopeful that Equiano will have additional landing points in the hinterlands through collaborative efforts with the licensed Infrastructure Companies (InfraCos) to reduce retail data prices significantly and thereby complementing the Commission’s efforts at ensuring affordable Internet services are available to boost the Commission’s ongoing broadband policy drive,” Danbatta said.