Algeria, Niger Launch Trans-Saharan Fiber-Optic Link
Algerian Minister of Post and Telecommunications Sid Ali Zerrouki and Niger’s Minister of Communication and New Information Technologies Hamani Kargné oversaw the official launch ceremony on Tuesday, September 6, in Assamaka, Niger.
The infrastructure is designed to be scalable, allowing its transmission capacity to be progressively increased in line with growing demand.
The project was completed through the technical expertise of teams from Algérie Télécom and Niger Télécom, the two countries’ national telecommunications operators.
Zerrouki said the decision to launch the strategic infrastructure in Assamaka, located near In Guezzam, carried significant symbolic importance, underscoring the cross-border nature of the project and its role in strengthening regional connectivity.
The initiative falls under the framework of the Trans-Saharan Backbone Connectivity Committee and is inspired by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). The project brings together six countries: Algeria, Mali, Niger, Mauritania, Nigeria and Chad.
The Algerian minister expressed hope that the technological corridor would become a structural asset for strengthening interconnection between the telecommunications networks of the participating countries.
He said the infrastructure would facilitate the flow of data and knowledge, expand access to high-speed internet, support the region’s digital transformation, boost economic exchanges, improve digital public services and reinforce the digital sovereignty of African countries.