Construction of Amilcar Cabral Submarine Cable System
By Anonymous (not verified), 17 March 2026
PIDA Code
I.02.30.02
Project Status
Active
Project Stage
Transaction Support & Financial Close
Completion Percentage
0
Sector Name
ICT
Subsector Name
Fibre Optic Cable
Alternative Names
Amilcar Cabral Cable; ECOWAS Submarine Cable
On SDM
Off
Summary
The ACSCS is a major regional ICT infrastructure project under development. A consortium Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was under finalization as of March 2025, with a deadline for signing the consortium agreement set for June 2025. Construction is expected to commence in late 2026. Several countries have secured financing: The Gambia and Guinea through the World Bank's West Africa Regional Digital Integration Program (WARDIP), and Liberia through its Second Submarine Cable Project supported by ECOWAS and the World Bank. The project is led by a consortium of national operators and public entities from the participating countries, with support from development partners.
Description
Submarine fiber optic cable system connecting Cabo Verde, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Total cable length of 3,555 km (2,955 km main trunk plus four branching units to mainland countries and two stubs for future expansion). Design capacity of 12 Tbps with a 25-year operational lifespan. The cable connects to the EllaLink submarine cable system linking Africa to Brazil and Europe. Aims to increase international broadband capacity in participating countries and guarantee redundancy for those currently relying on a single international submarine cable connection. Financed through a mix of private investment and public institutional support. The project is part of the ECOWAS broadband backbone programme.
Capex Cost
74,500,000.00USD million
Preparation Cost
0.00
Operation Cost
0.00
Project Risk
Delayed financial close due to multi-country financing coordination; ACE cable end-of-life risk creating urgency; Marine environment construction complexity; Long-term operations and maintenance requirements; Regulatory harmonisation across six jurisdictions
Countries
Algeria, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Cabo Verde, Sierra Leone
REC
ECOWAS-CEDEAO
Stakeholders
Economic Community of West African States
International Development Association - World Bank Group