Delegates at the International Submarine Cable Resilience Summit in Abuja, Nigeria outlined steps for stakeholders to cooperate in tackling the issue of subsea cable resilience in the wake of network outages that have plagued countries around the world.
At the summit, the International Advisory Body on Submarine Cable Resilience – established in December by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Agency for Digital Technologies, and the International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) – issued a declaration that includes a commitment to international efforts to reinforce subsea cable resilience, centred on actions ranging from increased cooperation to technical advancements.
The Summit Declaration promotes global cooperation on key areas including “strengthening cable protection through risk mitigation, promoting diverse routes and landings to enhance resilience and continuity, and facilitating timely deployment and repair.”
The declaration also recognised that “advancing sustainable approaches, fostering technological innovation, and facilitating capacity building are essential for addressing global challenges and driving inclusive development, with a strong emphasis on preparing for both present and future connectivity needs.”
During the summit – which was organized by Nigeria's Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy in partnership with the ITU and ICPC – the advisory body also formed working groups focused on risk identification, monitoring and mitigation, as well as connectivity and geographic diversity of landing points and routes, and timely deployment and repair of cables.
Bosun Tijani, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and co-chair of the Advisory Body, said that with an average of 150 to 200 faults reported globally each year, subsea cable disruptions impacted economies, access to information and public services and the daily lives of billions of people.
“With submarine cables forming the lifelines of the digital age, strengthening their resilience is a shared priority," he said in a statement. “This summit and its declaration underscore our commitment to safeguarding the infrastructure that our digital economy is built upon. As a key landing point for submarine cables in Africa, Nigeria is well-placed to contribute to and help shape global efforts to enhance resilience.”