Niger has marked a transformative leap in its digital future with the provisional handover of more than 1,000 kilometers of fibre-optic cable under the Trans-Sahara Optical Fibre Backbone Project, financed by the African Development Bank Group. At a ceremony in Niamey, government officials, Bank representatives, project coordinators, and telecom operators celebrated the completion of major fibre sections that now stretch across the country and link it to Algeria, Chad, Nigeria, Benin, and Burkina Faso. The €43 million project aims to deliver both a 1,031-kilometer national and cross-border fibre backbone and a Tier III national data centre that will anchor Niger’s next generation of digital infrastructure.
The five completed fibre routes span critical economic and border corridors: Arlit-Assamaka toward Algeria, Diffa-N’Guigmi toward Chad, Zinder-Magaria toward Nigeria, Niamey-Dosso-Gaya toward Benin, and Niamey-Makalondi toward Burkina Faso. An additional 88-kilometer urban loop will connect key government institutions directly to the upcoming data centre, helping position the capital as a digital services hub. Officials say this backbone will dramatically lower connectivity costs, enhance regional interconnection, and support the country’s long-term digital transformation.
Niger’s Minister of Communication and New Information Technologies, Adji Ali Salatou, described the achievement as a realization of the national vision to build a high-speed telecom network that is open to the wider sub-region. Bank representatives echoed this sentiment, framing the project as a cornerstone of Africa’s push for digital sovereignty, inclusive access, and reduced reliance on costly international bandwidth routes. The Trans-Sahara backbone is expected to strengthen ties among Algeria, Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Mali, and Mauritania, offering a resilient and cost-effective alternative for cross-border data flows.
The project’s impact extends beyond infrastructure. Officials underscored its role in expanding e-government services, enabling e-commerce, lowering data prices, and creating opportunities for youth through improved digital access. Project coordinator Abdoulkarim Soumaila noted that the initiative has also generated local jobs during construction and will help narrow the digital divide for underserved communities. The African Development Bank affirmed that the network marks the beginning of a new chapter for Niger’s digital economy, aligning with its broader portfolio of investments across energy, transport, agriculture, and governance aimed at driving inclusive and innovation-led growth.
