AfDB approves financing of Trans-Sahara Optic Fibre Backbone Project

ALGIERS- The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved the financing of the Trans-Sahara Optic Fibre Backbone Project (DST) that will interconnect Algeria, Nigeria and Chad , announced Monday in Algiers the AfDB's Representative to Algeria Boubacar Sidiki Traore.

"In its first step, the Project will interconnect Algeria, Niger, Nigeria and Chad , and the next step will proceed to interconnections to the optic fibre of Algeria, Mali and Niger," Sidi Traore stressed at the opening ceremony of the Conference of the African Internet Governance Conference, held Monday in Algiers under the patronage of the President of the Republic Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

The AfDB representative hailed the beginning Tuesday of the activities of the DTS Liaison Committee (CLDT), in the presence of the ITCs ministers of the member countries involved in this project.

The Algerian authorities accepted to host the CLDT headquarters that will ensure "coordination and coherence of the DTS route as well as exchange of the data relating to the project," he added.

Moreover, Sidiki Traore reiterated AfDB's willingness to "back the respective countries to enhance resilience and diversification of their economies and set up of ICTs-related infrastructures and applications while supporting them in the implementation of the related regulation and legal frameworks to fight against the challenges posed technological innovations particularly internet."

"The AfDB approved Algerian authorities' request to organize this conference designed to reflect on a common position among 54 African countries and precise recommendations to face the challenges posed by internet governance, and take advantage of this technological tool while limiting or even stopping the proliferation of related risks," stressed the same official.

"This conference aims to bring closer African countries' viewpoints and strategies, and unify their position on internet governance so that they move towards an adapted use of this technology," Sidiki Traore stated.

That a good one.