Project Summary

Project General Description

The multinational component of the Trans-Sahara Optical Fibre Backbone (TSB) Project aims to achieve the interconnection between Niger, Algeria, Nigeria and Chad through the laying of 1 510 kilometres of optical fibre cables. The project is a natural extension of the Trans-Saharan Highway (RTS). It has been attached to the Trans-Saharan Highway project to connect all concentrations of people on its route by road to other parts of the country and, beyond, the world. The proposed intervention consists of completing the missing links in Niger and Chad of the trans-Saharan ridge. The project intends to establish pilot data centres, eGovernment platforms and an Integrated Management System for the Electronic Identification of People (SIGIEP) in both countries. It also plans, among other things, to provide institutional support for the conduct of feasibility studies on the continuous implementation of the project, support ICT regulatory authorities and national agencies, academic institutions as well as a component that focuses on women’s empowerment. The project will contribute to reducing spatial exclusion and gaps in terms of existing transmission capacity in areaslocated within both countries, while laying the basis for the future development of e-Commerce, mobile financial services, e-Government, etc. It will be implemented over a four-year period from 2017 to 2020 for a total cost estimated at UA 62.262 million.

Project Objectives

The overall project objective in both countries is to contribute to diversifying the economy by promoting the emergence of a digital economy in Niger and Chad through digital inclusion. The specific project objective is to ease access by the population, government services and businesses to quality, reliable and affordable telecommunication/ICT services in both countries.

Beneficiaries

The beneficiaries of the extended project area will be the entire population of both countries (Niger and Chad) and even beyond throughout the region. In addition, it is expected that at least 30 000 women will be trained in the use of ICT tools each year in both countries. Lastly, 40 students (24 of them female students) completing postgraduate programmes in telecommunication/ICT in Niamey EST and the University of Ndjamena could benefit from a doctoral fellowship as part of the training of trainers in ICT. Both countries’ private operators (telephone companies, banks, etc.) will also benefit from the achievements of the project through the easy extension of their service offers to all localities served by optical fibre cable.

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