Amid recent disruptions caused by undersea cable cuts in the West African region, Nigeria has emphasized the need for a coordinated approach to safeguard shared telecommunications infrastructure. At the 21st West Africa Telecommunications Regulatory Assembly (WATRA) Annual General Meeting, Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Aminu Maida, stressed the importance of protecting vital assets to attract investment, drive economic growth, and enhance global competitiveness.
Maida highlighted the impact of recent cable cuts, citing a report indicating ongoing outages in several countries. He underscored the significance of secure telecom infrastructure for fostering Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and investor confidence, emphasizing the need for resilience and reliability in regional networks.
Proposals included establishing a framework for joint monitoring and risk mitigation, expanding the mandate of the WATRA Working Group on Infrastructure, and designating telecom infrastructure as critical national assets. The goals would be to bolster infrastructure resilience, promote connectivity diversification, and enhance disaster response protocols.
WATRA, established in 2002, serves as a platform for telecommunication regulatory authorities in member states to promote regulations stimulating investment in telecom infrastructure. Discussions at the AGM focused on improving accessibility and affordability of telecommunication services, consumer protection, quality of service, roaming, and conflict resolution.
Yusuf Aliyu Aboki of Nigeria was reelected as Executive Secretary, with commendation for his leadership. Maida urged him to build on past achievements through strengthened partnerships and collaboration, advancing the interests of the sub-regional body.
