Nigeria is in advanced discussions with Alphabet Inc.’s Google over the deployment of a new undersea cable aimed at strengthening the country’s digital resilience.
The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, disclosed this in an interview with Bloomberg.
Google had earlier announced plans to roll out four new infrastructure hubs in Africa to support its latest undersea fibre optic cable systems on the continent.
Inuwa described Nigeria’s heavy reliance on undersea cables that follow similar routes as a “single point of failure,” explaining that disruptions along these paths could severely affect internet access and digital services.
Inuwa said Nigeria is also engaging other global technology companies as part of a wider strategy to expand its digital infrastructure.
Beyond improved connectivity, the country is seeking increased investment in cloud computing and high-performance computing capacity to support the adoption of advanced digital tools.
He added that such investments could help position Nigeria as a regional digital hub, improve internet access nationwide, and drive economic activity in Africa’s most populous country.
Nigeria has experienced several internet outages linked to damage to subsea cables in recent years.
In March last year, several businesses were paralysed for days due to an internet outage caused by damage to international undersea cables supplying the country with connectivity.