Connectivity opportunities & challenges in Western Africa

Most consider internet connectivity a necessity rather than a luxury – and some are even petitioning for internet connectivity to be considered as a basic human right. And yet, there is still a long way to go in Western Africa before total connectivity is achieved.

The following insights are taken from Africa Tech Festival's recent report, 'The State of Connectivity in Africa in 2022 & Beyond.'

Current State

Between 2000 and 2021, internet usage in West Africa grew at high rates. Data on internet users in Africa show that the West African countries with the highest rates are Cabo Verde, Mali, and Nigeria, with an internet penetration above 60 percent.

The subregion has also shown a rapidly growing technology ecosystem, and increased internet adoption could complement the prospects of this economic transformation. However, most countries in the subregion are at the bottom of the global ranking on internet penetration, although C?te d’Ivoire is closer to the global average.

Guinea Bissau (1.24 Mbit/s, ranking 221st) fell within the bottom five countries in the world for network speed, according to Cable.co.uk’s Worldwide Broadband Speed League 2021. The prices of mobile data in these countries, adjusted for cost of living, are among the highest worldwide. For instance, Niger and Guinea-Bissau rank among the top 10 most expensive in the world in terms of the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) data-only mobile broadband price basket. The prices are also high relative to other subregions in Africa. Thus, the average price of data-only mobile broadband stood at US$8.50 in WAEMU countries (in nominal US dollars), compared with US$5.50 in East Africa.

Challenges

Literacy and digital skills is a key barrier to mobile internet adoption and use. In Nigeria, more than half of those who are not using mobile internet, despite being aware of it, report these barriers as the reason. This barrier also disproportionately affects those living in rural areas and women. Difficulties with reading and writing were among the most commonly reported sub-barriers in Nigeria.

Research by the World Bank found that across the subregion, two main constraints to mobile broadband adoption are related to affordability: the high price of mobile services and low purchasing power, as indicated by low household consumption. These results resonate with the fact that mobile data prices in the subregion are among the highest worldwide when adjusted to the cost of living.

Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Mali, Guinea and Liberia were all affected by internet or social media blackouts between 2017 and?2022. The Twitter Ban in Nigeria that took place between June 2021 and January 2022 affected approximately 104.4 million internet users in Nigeria, and was one of the most costly shutdowns in the continent, with a cost of $267 million, according to Top10VPN, a Welsh VPN company.

Opportunities

Internet Blackouts: The Twitter ban in Nigeria resulted in legal challenges. These shutdowns can’t be successful without cooperation and compliance from telecom operators. A digital rights group named Paradigm Iniative joined a class action suit against the complicit telecom operators – MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9Mobile. The suit challenges the legalities of imposing a blackout, and wants to declare the Twitter ban as “unlawful, unconstitutional, and against the rights to freedom of expression.”

A separate suit was also filed by Paradigm Initiative against the Nigerian government and the Nigerian Communication Commission (which formally ordered telecom operators to block Twitter). The ban was then lifted in January 2022.

Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, the director-general of Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency stated: “The FGN has asked Twitter to fulfil some conditions before restoring its services. These conditions addressed legal registration of operations, taxation, and managing prohibited publication in line with Nigerian laws. Twitter has agreed to meet all the conditions.”

The work carried out by organisations such as Paradigm Initiative highlight and challenge issues such as internet blackouts, and undoubtedly have contributed to the success in overturning the ban.

Mobile Opportunities: The majority of those based in developing countries - particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa - access the internet via mobile connection rather than fixed internet. Research conducted by World Bank found that mobile broadband coverage must be complemented by policies to address barriers in order to close the digital divide and achieve a higher internet adoption rate. These particularly pertain to affordability, in a bid to target sociodemographic groups left behind.

These policies include:

? Expanding the availability of digital infrastructure – especially in rural areas - and working towards universal coverage of 3G mobile

? Promoting price affordability of services by encouraging competition in the ICT sector and including affordable, low-use data package options

? Tackling barriers faced by women and other groups, including people working in agriculture, as well as the obstacles related to digital literacy and access to electricity

? Coordinating across sectors for bundling with complementary services that enable the productive use of mobile broadband, including mobile money and digital platforms.

Stay ahead of the curve

Download the full, interactive report 'The State of Connectivity in Africa in 2022 & Beyond' for more insights on each region on the continent.