The United States government has launched plans to support the deployment of about 1,500 mobile communication base stations across Nigeria, Ghana, Benin Republic and Côte d’Ivoire as part of efforts to expand digital connectivity in West Africa.
The initiative, announced on Tuesday by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), will fund a feasibility study for Vanu Côte d’Ivoire, a subsidiary of U.S.-based Vanu Inc. The study will examine the commercial viability of deploying turnkey mobile base stations across the four West African countries.
According to the agency, Georgia-based Vernonburg Group LLC has been appointed to conduct the study. The firm will evaluate existing telecommunications infrastructure, assess regulatory and legal frameworks, study market conditions and prepare a financing strategy for the full rollout of the project.
USTDA Deputy Director Thomas R. Hardy said the project is aimed at improving access to affordable and secure internet services in underserved communities across the region.
He explained that the initiative would help provide trusted digital infrastructure while also creating export opportunities for American companies.
The project is widely viewed as part of Washington’s broader strategy to reduce the dominance of Chinese telecommunications equipment in Africa’s wireless sector. Chinese firms such as Huawei and ZTE currently play a major role in telecom infrastructure across many African countries, but the U.S. has repeatedly raised concerns over security risks associated with their technology.
Vanu Chief Executive Officer Andrew Beard said the planned deployment would prove that delivering broadband and voice services to remote and economically challenging communities can be profitable and sustainable.
He added that the USTDA-backed study would encourage new investment, strengthen U.S. exports and speed up the expansion of secure digital infrastructure in underserved regions.
Vanu already operates in parts of West Africa and has previously deployed off-grid wireless solutions in Edo and Delta states in Nigeria, as well as in Benin, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire.
The proposed project is expected to help bridge the urban-rural digital divide by providing millions of people in underserved communities with improved access to faster and more reliable mobile network services.
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