Burkina Faso: the country turns to Nigeria for access to international connectivity.

Burkinabè authorities presented this project in a report published on Sunday, August 16. The goal is to strengthen the country’s connections with the international infrastructures available in Nigeria, which has direct access to several submarine cables linking West Africa to other regions of the world.

This approach addresses the particular vulnerability of Burkina Faso. In the absence of a maritime facade, the country must rely on the networks of its neighbors to access international telecommunications infrastructures. Increasing the number of routes could thus enhance service continuity in the event of a failure, saturation, or incident on an existing link.

The initiative is part of a context of accelerating digital usage in Africa. The development of financial services, online administration, distance learning, and business activities is driving demand for Internet capacity and more stable connections.

However, the project presented does not yet constitute an effective commissioning of a new link, according to the available information. The report does not specify the amount of the operation, the timeline for implementation, or the exact infrastructures that will be mobilized on the Burkinabè and Nigerian sides.

By diversifying its access routes to submarine cables, Burkina Faso seeks to reduce its dependence on its current transit routes. The realization of this initiative will now depend on the technical, financial, and institutional modalities of cooperation with Nigeria.