By Chinenye Anuforo
Google and cable landing partner , WIOCC, has announced the landing in Lagos, Nigeria, of the state-of-the-art Equiano subsea cable, which will become a critical element in meeting Nigeria’s current and future international connectivity demands. Named after Nigerian-born writer and abolitionist, Olaudah Equiano, the Equiano cable will help support further digital transformation in Nigeria, a country which has produced five start-up unicorns (companies now valued at more than $1 billion) in the past five years. A recent impact assessment study by Africa Practice and Genesis Analytics stated that once the state-of-the-art, high-capacity Equiano cable had become fully operational, anticipated later this year, it is expected to bring the following benefits to Nigeria: increase internet speeds by a factor of six, reduce internet retail prices by 21 per cent and increase internet penetration by six percentage points
Also, it will boost GDP by $10.1 billion by 2025, boost employment creation by 1.6 million jobs by 2025 and save 2.8 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per annum
The Nigerian government has also stepped up its digital transformation programs since 2017. These initiatives have proven crucial to the success of many industries in the country, especially the startup space. But studies suggest that faster internet connections, better user experiences, and reduced internet costs will further accelerate these benefits.
Juliet Ehimuan, Director, West Africa at Google commenting on the landing of Equiano in Nigeria said: “Google is committed to supporting Africa’s digital transformation and we are excited to see the impact of the landing of Equiano in Nigeria.
