Spectrum Fibre Limited (SFL)
Spectrum Fibre Limited (SFL) is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) established through a strategic partnership between Broadspectrum Limited, a wholly Ghanaian-owned limited liability company, and the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF), a sovereign wealth fund of the Republic of Ghana. This collaboration aims to accelerate the pace of digital connectivity in Ghana by investing in advanced fibre optic infrastructure, bridging the digital divide, and unlocking new digital opportunities for underserved communities across the nation.
CSquared and CSquared Woezon, through a strategic partnership with Phase3 and SBIN, today announces a new terrestrial fibre route from Lagos, Nigeria to Accra, Ghana, setting a new standard for regional connectivity.
Achieving latency of just 11ms between Lagos and Accra, this terrestrial route will ensure faster, more resilient data delivery for content, cloud, and communication services – a significant milestone in West Africa’s digital infrastructure resilience.
This initiative responds directly to the vulnerabilities exposed in March 2024, when a rockfall off the West African coast damaged multiple subsea cables, causing widespread connectivity outages across the region, where to date no terrestrial solutions have been available to provide alternate restoration options in many parts of West Africa.
“We’re proud to partner to extend our existing high-capacity terrestrial infrastructure beyond Ghana and Togo” said Ian Paterson, CEO of CSquared. “This project proves what’s possible when regional infrastructure providers come together to build for scale, speed, and redundancy. It’s a significant step toward a digitally connected West Africa.
Our unique footprint in West Africa including our existing CSquared Woezon and CSquared Ghana operations are now integrated into a broader ECOWAS terrestrial solution to help drive digitalisation across the region.”
The new route forms the cornerstone of a broader East-West terrestrial strategy, offering reliable inland capacity for those 300 million people affected by the subsea failures. This route provides a resilient, high-performance alternative to subsea-only infrastructure enabling digital access for governments, enterprises, and citizens alike.
“This route reinforces our commitment to building a truly resilient and secure digital backbone across West Africa,” said Stanley Jegede, Executive Chairman of Phase3. “The events of March 2024 made it clear that Hyperscalers, CDNs, and operators alike require redundancy on land, not just undersea. With this new terrestrial link, Lagos’ digital ecosystem can be future-proofed, and ensure no nation east of Côte d’Ivoire is digitally isolated again.”
The successful configuration, activation and testing of this route was made possible by close collaboration with regional infrastructure partners Phase3 and SBIN, ensuring robust fibre deployment through Ghana, Togo, and Benin.
“This collaboration between multiple partners offers strategic network resilience for the entire region,” added Craig Lowe, Chief Growth Officer at Phase3. “Subsea cables are vital, but diverse terrestrial paths are non-negotiable for today’s cloud-first, latency-sensitive ecosystem. This route will become the primary inland path from Nigeria to Accra, enabling redundant pathways for critical content delivery and cloud traffic.”
“SBIN is committed to enabling cross-border fibre networks that support growth across West Africa,” said Ormar Gueye Ndiaye, CEO of SBIN. “Our collaboration ensures Benin plays a key role in regional fibre resilience and helps position our national infrastructure as a gateway for high-speed, reliable data transmission.”
The partnership is a key step in achieving CSquared’s strategy of integrating the digital infrastructure of critical West African economies and leveraging its existing infrastructure, both terrestrial and through the Equiano cable system, with robust and resilient solutions.
The Ready for Service (RFS) date and commercials will be announced in due course; however, it is a key building block in extending fibre reach across ECOWAS.
While this route reaffirms our collective role as pan-African digital infrastructure leaders, it sets a new benchmark for terrestrial connectivity in West Africa and underlines the importance of regional partnerships in achieving new levels of resilience.
About CSquared and CSquared Woezon
CSquared is a pan-African technology company, committed to a digitally connected Africa by making impactful investments into open-access broadband enabling infrastructure throughout Africa. CSquared provides wholesale broadband infrastructure and enables hyperscalers, mobile/fixed network operators and internet service providers to deliver high-quality broadband access to businesses and consumers on the continent. With a mission to improve access to the Internet and drive economic growth, CSquared invests in, builds and operates reliable and resilient last mile and metropolitan fiber optic networks, national fiber backbone infrastructure and subsea solutions in Africa’s largest and most dynamic economies.
Formed in 2022, CSquared Woezon is a joint venture between CSquared and the Société des Infrastructures Numériques (SIN). This public-private partnership forms a key component of Togo’s ambitious digital agenda, aiming to enhance connectivity and drive socio-economic development. In addition to metro and backbone terrestrial solutions, CSquared Woezon is the landing partner for the Equiano cable system in Togo, the first landing of the system in continental Africa.
About Phase3
Phase3 is a licensed telecommunications operator with expansion into the ECOWAS region. Headquartered in Abuja, Phase3 supports financial services, cloud computing, media streaming, and mission-critical enterprise workloads, while enabling governments and institutions to access secure, high-speed digital infrastructure.
Phase3 is committed to enhancing the availability of fast and reliable internet to the un-served and the under-served parts of the region. Voted “National Fiber Infrastructure Provider of the Year” for three consecutive years by prestigious industry analysts and watchers, Phase3’s on-going huge expansion projects are set to deliver additional fibre infrastructure in 2025 and beyond.
About SBIN
Société Béninoise d’Infrastructures Numériques (SBIN) is Benin’s national digital infrastructure operator, dedicated to expanding broadband access and supporting the country’s digital transformation. It manages a national fibre backbone and delivers fixed, mobile (under the Celtiis brand), and internet services to citizens, businesses, and government entities. SBIN plays a strategic role in regional connectivity by extending fibre networks across West Africa and positioning Benin as a key ECOWAS hub. Its major initiatives include the Celtiis network launch and broadband rollout to underserved areas.
The Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) has embarked on a drive to renovate and equip all its Community Information Centres (CICs) across the country.
The move is to support the one million coders’ initiative, particularly in rural communities.
The GIFEC Administrator, Dr Sofo Tanko Rashid Computer, who disclosed this in an interview with the Daily Graphic, said the agency which is under the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation would use its CICs to deliver ICT training to rural areas to support the initiative.
Tour
To operationalise the CICs, Dr Computer said he recently embarked on a tour of eight regions to assess the state of the centres.
The regions he visited are Volta, Oti, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Savannah, Bono East, and Bono.
“We found that most of the CICs have been ran down, taken over by other agencies, or locked down since 2017,” he said.
“It was an eyesore what I saw,” he said, adding “some have been used by agencies like the military as a post for their men. Others have been taken over by other agencies.”
In regions such as Volta, Oti, Upper East, Upper West, Savannah, Bono East, and Bono, Dr Computer said he witnessed firsthand the neglect and disrepair of these centres.
“Some of these centres lacked electricity, while others had essential equipment stolen or packed away unused,” he said.
Assurance
In spite of these challenges, Dr Computer said the GIFEC was committed to renovating and equipping those centres to facilitate effective ICT training.
“Without the CICs, this issue of digitalisation will be something in the mouth and the head,” Dr Computer stated.
“We need to bring digitalisation to the doorstep of ordinary persons, especially rural folks,” he said.
“GIFEC plans to quickly renovate these centres and bring them back to life, supporting the government’s initiative to train one million coders and promoting digital inclusion across the country. With over 200 CICs across the country, GIFEC’s efforts will play a crucial role in bridging the rural-urban digital gap,” he said.
Background
President John Dramani Mahama last month launched the One Million Coders Programme, a national digital skills initiative aimed at training one million Ghanaians over the next four years in coding, cybersecurity, data analytics, and related fields.
Speaking at the launch of the initiative last Wednesday, Mr Mahama described the initiative as a core part of his government’s Reset Ghana agenda, intended to prepare the country for a more competitive role in the global digital economy. “This is not just a fulfilled campaign promise, it is a deliberate move towards building a knowledge-based economy where our people are able to create solutions, find jobs and compete globally.”
He said the programme would help address unemployment and open up opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship.
The programme’s modular training approach will be rolled out across Accra, Kumasi, Sunyani and Bolgatanga, with plans to activate community information centres nationwide to ensure rural inclusion.
The programme emerged as a key manifesto promise of the National Democratic Congress during the 2024 election campaigns, and has been adopted as a flagship initiative by the administration of President Mahama.
Africa’s AI future demands urgent investment in digital infrastructure, inclusion, and policy to unlock growth, resilience, and equitable development continent-wide.
Angela Wamola, Head of Sub-Saharan Africa, GSMA, writes about how unleashing AI’s potential in Africa requires bold action on infrastructure.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant concept for Africa – it is a present-day economic and social force. As one of the defining technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), AI holds immense promise for transforming key sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, education, manufacturing, and tourism. But realising this promise demands more than innovation – it demands action on digital infrastructure, policy, and investment.
Africa has already begun to adopt AI in meaningful ways – from precision agriculture that boosts yields to AI-driven diagnostics that enhance healthcare delivery. These innovations offer a glimpse into how AI can address some of the continent’s most persistent challenges, from food insecurity to access to quality medical care and education. With the right policies in place, including a critical lens in adherence to the principle for the responsible use of AI, the innovative adoption of AI will be a powerful enabler of inclusive growth, resilience and competitiveness.
Yet the journey is far from straightforward. The continent continues to face significant barriers, including limited broadband access, insufficient reliable, affordable and sustainable clean energy, and a wide digital divide and usage gap. As of 2023, according to the latest GSMA State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2024 data, only 30% of the population in Africa were using mobile internet, while 59% remained covered by a mobile broadband network but were not using it – highlighting the region’s position as having both the largest usage gap and a notable coverage gap of 15%, the widest globally. Moreover, 4G coverage is approaching 3G levels of coverage whereas 4G and 5G connections had only reached 31% and 1% respectively as at the end of 2023 with a forecast to reach 50% and 17% by 2030 This stark disparity is a significant barrier for the adoption of AI solutions in Africa and underscores the need to address affordability, digital literacy, and infrastructure challenges, which are all essential to unlocking AI’s potential across Africa.
There are also deeper structural inequalities that shape access to digital technologies. Cost, geography, gender and education all determine who can participate in – and benefit from – the AI revolution. Without targeted policies to bridge these divides, we risk entrenching existing inequities and missing out on AI’s full potential to drive equitable progress.
Governments across Africa must take the lead in creating enabling environments for AI to thrive. This includes promoting private sector investments in infrastructure, partnerships in digital literacy to stimulate usage of digital services and the upskilling of the workforce, incentivising innovation, and developing regulatory frameworks that both mitigate risks and promote responsible use of AI. The African Union’s Continental AI Strategy provides a clear path forward, with a strong focus on infrastructure, governance, and inclusive development.
Recent developments, such as the launch of Africa’s first AI-ready data centre in South Africa, signal growing momentum – but we need many more such investments across the continent. South Africa’s presidency of the G20 in 2025 offers a unique opportunity to champion Africa’s digital development on the global stage and to mobilise investment and partnerships that can accelerate progress.
Africa’s AI future is not only possible – it is within reach. But it will take decisive leadership, meaningful collaboration between public and private sectors, and a shared commitment to putting people at the centre of technological advancement.
The Chief Finance Officer of MTN Ghana, Antoinette Kwofie, has challenged women-led businesses in Ghana to enhance their digital skills and actively leverage e-commerce platforms to scale their operations and expand their market reach at the maiden edition of the African Women in Leadership Organisation (AWLO) Ghana Impact Dinner held on 27th April 2025 at the Fiesta Residences, Cantonments.
The event held under the theme “Strutting into Global Markets: Utilising Traditional & Venture Capital Finance for Business Leverage” aims to spark meaningful conversations across finance, regional trade, investor sourcing, and enterprise development, with a strong focus on empowering women with the knowledge, networks, and structures needed to scale their businesses on a global stage.
Speaking on a panel discussion, Antoinette highlighted the disparity between women’s presence on social media for business and their engagement with e-commerce platforms.
Citing studies from across the African continent, she revealed that although 60 percent of women-owned businesses use social media platforms such as WhatsApp and Instagram for sales and marketing, only about 25 percent of women currently utilize e-commerce platforms. On the back of this, she noted that the limited use of e-commerce tools is restricting the growth potential of women-led businesses.
She therefore emphasised the need for women entrepreneurs to embrace digital transformation. “Many women are fearful of online fraud, but if we could do more by adopting secure payment systems and using global e-commerce platforms and even going further to embed links to secure payment platforms in their websites, it would significantly increase our reach and help scale women-led businesses exponentially,” she said.
In conclusion, Antoinette encouraged women entrepreneurs to invest in improving their digital skills and financial literacy, highlighting that various organisations are available to support capacity building in these areas. ‘So, I challenge every woman-led SME to do a little more in building their understanding of digital platforms. By doing so, you can increase your potential customer base and grow your business,” she urged.
The AWLO Ghana Impact Dinner brought together female entrepreneurs, leaders, and industry players to discuss strategies for business expansion through both traditional and venture capital financing.
The African Women in Leadership Organisation (AWLO) is a distinguished nonprofit organisation, established in 2009, and is committed to redefining the place of African women in leadership to lead authentically and impactfully through bespoke leadership training, cross-border mentoring initiatives, executive coaching, and visibility platforms.
Some participants at the event
Antoinette Kwofie (3rd L) in a group picture with other speakers at the event.
Antoinette Kwofie (1st L) in a group picture with other participants
Anotinette Kwofie being interviewed after the event.
Antoinette Kwofi CFO MTN Ghana and Janet Sunkwa-Mills Leader of the group engaging participants
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