World Bank supports Mauritania and Togo’s broadband connectivity with $60m
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved $30 million each in International Development Association (IDA) credits to support the governments of Mauritania and Togo’s efforts to strengthen telecommunications connectivity through expansion of fiber-optic broadband networks and introduction of legal and regulatory reforms to promote robust private sector competition.
A press release issued May 30, 2013 stated that, the investments are expected to expand access, improve quality and reliability of voice and Internet communications, serve as the backbone for greater private sector investment in ICT services and dramatically drive down costs, as has been the experience in other African countries.
The project is part of the second phase of a $300 million West Africa Regional Communications Infrastructure Programme (WARCIP) that seeks to bridge connectivity gaps between 16 West African countries and with the rest of the world. WARCIP harnesses the resources and dynamism of the private sector through innovative public-private partnerships to enable rapid roll out of infrastructure and expansion of telecoms services, the release said.
“We want to harness Africa’s ongoing ICT revolution to address the development challenges confronting West African states. High capacity, reliable, regional broadband networks can enable communications, commerce and trade in services across borders. It is the cornerstone of developing a modern regional economic zone in West Africa,” said Colin Bruce, World Bank Director for Regional Integration. “
The release stated that, Mauritania is mostly a desert country, and its population of 3.5 million is dispersed on an estimated surface area of 1,030,700 square kilometers. Togo is one of the smallest countries in West Africa, and its population of 6.5 million is spread over 56,600 square kilometers. Both countries need to improve their connection to the information superhighway and capitalize on the transformative power of ICT to diversify their economies, boost growth rates and accelerate efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.
By Dorcas Appiah