Niger: 1031 km of fiber optic cable laid, towards interconnection with neighboring countries
November 18th 2025
The Nigerien government plans to strengthen the national digital infrastructure as part of its ambitions for digital transformation and sovereignty. Costing approximately 30 billion CFA francs ($53.08 million), this project includes a data center in addition to fiber optics.
Niger has completed the various sections comprising its part of the Trans-Saharan Fiber Optic Backbone. A provisional acceptance ceremony was held on Friday, November 14, 2025, to celebrate this milestone, which paves the way for future interconnection with neighboring countries such as Benin, Nigeria, Chad, Burkina Faso, and Algeria.
In total, 1031 km of fibre optic cable have been installed on five axes: Arlit – Assamaka – Algerian border (220 km), Diffa – N’Guigmi – Chadian border (186 km), Zinder – Magaria – Nigerian border (117 km), Niamey – Dosso – Gaya – Beninese border (300 km), Niamey – Makalondi – Burkinabe border (118 km).
“This backbone is an essential lever for the digital opening of our country. It contributes significantly to reducing geographical exclusion and connectivity gaps in remote areas. It also promotes economic development by providing a solid foundation for digital services, including e-commerce, mobile financial services and e-government ,” said Adji Ali Salatou, Minister of Communication and New Information Technologies.
As a landlocked country, Niger lacks direct access to the submarine cables that provide international connectivity. The submarine cable backbone will therefore allow it to interconnect with several neighbors who themselves have significant landing points, opening access to a more diverse and resilient international capacity. Nigeria is connected to eight cables, Benin to three, and Algeria to five, with two more planned by 2026, according to data from TeleGeography’s Submarine Cable Map platform.
Chad, although landlocked, opens the door for Niger to coastal countries like Cameroon and Sudan, each connected to five submarine cables, as well as Libya, which has five and plans a sixth in 2026. Chad is also exploring an agreement with Egypt, a true digital hub with around twenty cables and seven more planned by 2028. Finally, Burkina Faso, also landlocked, provides access to Togo (three cables), Ghana (six cables) and Ivory Coast (six cables).
According to Nigerien authorities, interconnection with neighboring countries should improve service quality, expand access to ICTs, and lower costs for the population. According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), internet penetration in Niger reached 23.2% in 2023. The organization also indicates that in 2024, spending on mobile internet represented 8.31% of gross national income per capita, compared to 61.1% for fixed internet. By comparison, the ITU considers a service affordable only when this ratio does not exceed 2%.
Furthermore, the timeline for the actual interconnection has not yet been specified. Its implementation will depend on the progress of each country involved. For example, the Nigerien and Chadian authorities met last June to discuss the technical arrangements necessary for the project’s realization, but no updates have been provided since. As for Benin, the border between the two countries remains closed until further notice.
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