(Ecofin Agency) - The partnership between Phase3 and Sonatel underscores a broader commitment to regional development through digital innovation. By linking their core networks, both companies aim to accelerate economic inclusion, digital sovereignty, and technological empowerment across ECOWAS countries.

Phase3 Telecom, West Africa’s independent fibre optic infrastructure provider, in partnership with Senegalese Telecoms provider Sonatel, announced the launch of a 3,500-kilometre terrestrial fibre route linking Lagos, Nigeria to Dakar, Senegal on May 8 . This development represents a major step in Phase3’s East–West expansion strategy, extending its current Lagos–Accra corridor to one of West Africa’s most important digital hubs.

“This is not just a route—it is a digital spine for West Africa,” said Stanley Jegede, Executive Chairman of Phase3. “It connects platforms, empowers ecosystems, and strengthens the future of cross-border digital transformation.”

The new terrestrial route, which traverses Benin, Togo, Ghana, and into Senegal, is designed to deliver low-latency, high-capacity connectivity critical for regional and international cloud platforms, financial institutions, telecom operators, and government services. With latency as low as 32 milliseconds, the infrastructure provides a resilient alternative to submarine cables.

The Lagos–Dakar route significantly expands the reach of the Djoliba network and supports Sonatel’s Ikasira platform—a next-generation regional cloud and content delivery ecosystem. It offers strategic interconnection with services such as AWS Wavelength in Dakar, helping hyperscalers and content providers operate closer to end-users while improving speed, redundancy, and operational efficiency.

“We are proud to partner with Phase3 in this groundbreaking initiative,” said Sékou Dramé, CEO of Sonatel. “Together, we are delivering infrastructure that meets the demands of today—and the promise of tomorrow.”

The new route is expected to become commercially available in the coming months and is poised to transform digital infrastructure across the subregion, supporting West Africa’s journey toward a connected, resilient, and innovation-driven future.

This development is particularly significant given the region’s historical reliance on vulnerable subsea cables for international internet traffic. In March 2024, multiple undersea cable outages—including WACS, SAT-3, and ACE—crippled connectivity across West Africa, affecting banking, communications, and digital services in over 10 countries. The outages exposed the fragility of the region’s infrastructure and underscored the urgent need for robust terrestrial alternatives.

Hikmatu Bilali