African Development Bank (AfDB) agreed in principle to fund completion of optic fiber between Algeria and Nigeria. Imane Houda Feroun, Algerian minister for post and information technology made the announcement on March 28, 2016, during an interview with Algérie Presse Service (APS).

Launched in 2010, in the framework of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), the 4,000km –long optic fiber laid between Algeria and Nigeria has not yet been completed due to a financial issue. Niger and Chad asked their Algerian and Nigerian partners, who already laid their portion of the fiber, to halt the project as they lack financial means to start laying their portion of the infrastructure. Presently, it is the Niger-Chad segment, not yet laid, that prevents the completion of the Algiers-Abuja fiber optic project. 

AfDB’s funding agreement comes to accelerate the construction of the high-speed infrastructure, which is to connect African countries with no seacoast, thus unable to pull their own sub-marine fiber optic cable, to Internet. Imane Houda Feraoun highlights that the agreement with AfDB was obtained after long talks. Started under former minister for post and communication, Moussa Benhamadi, the project cost Algeria about $45 million.

Muriel Edjo