Dipo Olowookere
By Dipo Olowookere
Millions of internet users in Nigeria are currently in cloud nine and the reason is that internet connectivity will get better with the landing of the state-of-the-art Equiano subsea internet cable in the country.
With a design capacity roughly 20 times larger than any other cable currently in use, the Equiano subsea cable will have a direct impact on connectivity, resulting in faster internet speeds, reduced internet prices and improved user experience in Nigeria.
Named after Nigerian-born writer and abolitionist, Olaudah Equiano, the Equiano cable will help support further digital transformation in Nigeria, a country that has produced five start-up unicorns (companies now valued at more than $1 billion) in the past five years.
The new cable will save 2.8 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per annum, boost the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) by $10.1 billion by 2025, create about 1.6 million jobs within the period as a result of an increase in internet speeds by a factor of six, increase in internet penetration by six percentage points and a cut in internet retail prices by 21 per cent.
Business Post gathered that this Equiano subsea internet cable was brought to Nigeria through Lagos by Google and WIOCC, a cable landing partner, from Portugal.
It runs more than 12,000km along the West Coast of Africa and initially land in Lomé, Togo; Lagos, Nigeria; Swakopmund, Namibia; Rupert’s Bay, Saint Helena and Melkbosstrand, South Africa; establishing a valuable new high-capacity connection between the African continent and Europe.
“Google is committed to supporting Africa’s digital transformation and we are excited to see the impact of the landing of Equiano in Nigeria.
“We’ve worked with established partners and in-country experts to guarantee that Equiano has the greatest potential effect in Nigeria and throughout Africa,” the Director of West Africa at Google, Ms Juliet Ehimuan, stated.
“Equiano is set to make an enduring contribution towards the development of Nigeria’s communications infrastructure and today marks another major step in its development. We look forward to honouring our commitment to being part of Africa’s digital transformation,” Ms Ehimuan added.
On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of WIOCC, Mr Chris Wood, stated: “We are proud to have been selected by Google as the landing partner for the Equiano cable in Nigeria, landing the cable directly into the OADC Lagos data centre. From there it will be extended to other data centres across Lagos.”
“The Equiano cable will deliver improved internet quality, speeds and affordability to the people of Nigeria. However, for the benefits to be fully felt throughout Nigeria, hyper scale connectivity needs to be extended from the Lagos area to the rest of the country.
“To make this happen, WIOCC is also deploying a comprehensive, hyper scale national fibre network. The network will go live in phases, starting in June and continuing through to the end of the year. When combined with the Equiano cable this network will deliver transformational benefits across the country,” he added.
Last month, the Equiano subsea cable made its first landing in Africa in Lomé, Togo, as a confirmation of the commitment made at the Google for Africa 2021 event to help increase internet access across Africa.
