The recent damage to international undersea cables near Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire has had a significant impact on internet connectivity in Nigeria and South Africa, affecting banks, telecommunication companies, and their customers.
In Nigeria, the damage has resulted in internet outages for banks and telecoms, causing disruptions in transaction processing and data services. MTN, one of the major telecom providers, has issued a statement apologizing for the challenges faced by its subscribers and reassured them that repair processes are underway to restore connectivity as soon as possible.
The situation has also affected South Africa, where multiple undersea cables along the West coast of Africa are experiencing outages. However, companies like WIOCC, with redundant capacity, have been able to mitigate the impact on their customers. Vodacom, a prominent telecom operator in South Africa, has confirmed the outages and is working to resolve connectivity issues.
The damage to these undersea cables highlights the vulnerability of Africa’s internet infrastructure and the need for robust backup systems to ensure uninterrupted connectivity. It
