Before today, most Nigerians probably hadn’t heard about the Houthi rebels—a ragtag militia and extremist religious group from Yemen. Yet this same group is the surprising reason why Nigeria’s internet and banking systems went down recently.
Let’s break down how a rebel group thousands of kilometres away caused chaos across West Africa.
Who Are the Houthi Rebels?
The Houthi movement is an Islamic militant group based in Yemen. They are similar to groups like Boko Haram and ISIS in terms of ideology but belong to a different Islamic sect.
While Boko Haram and ISIS follow the Sunni branch of Islam, the Houthi rebels follow the Shia sect, which is mainly practiced in Iran. Saudi Arabia, the global headquarters of Islam and a Sunni nation, strongly opposes the Houthi movement.
Think of it like Christianity—there are Anglicans, Catholics, and Pentecostals. They all serve one God but follow different doctrines. That’s how the conflict between Shia and Sunni groups operates.
The Houthi War with Saudi Arabia
The Houthis have been fighting Saudi Arabia for years. Despite Saudi Arabia’s military strength and support from the United States, they haven’t been able to defeat this small but fierce militia.
Recently, the Houthi rebels shifted their focus from fighting regional wars to attacking global trade routes in the Red Sea. They began targeting commercial ships and vessels carrying goods from Asia to Europe, disrupting global supply chains.
From Ships to Submarine Cables: A New Threat Emerges
Not satisfied with attacking ships alone, the Houthis have started targeting undersea cables beneath the Red Sea. These submarine fibre optic cables carry data and internet traffic between continents.
"Give thanks to the Lord for He is good: His love endures forever."
When one of these cables gets damaged, millions of people can lose internet access instantly. That’s exactly what happened when the Houthis struck a submarine cable route that connects Europe to Africa. The result? Massive internet outages across Nigeria and other West African countries.
Why Nigeria’s Internet Went Down
You might wonder what a damaged cable in the Red Sea has to do with your slow internet in Lagos or Abuja. The answer lies in how the global internet works.
Telecom giants like MTN and Airtel don’t create the internet themselves. They buy bandwidth from internet infrastructure companies that run huge submarine cables under the ocean.
These cables stretch thousands of kilometres—from Europe through the Red Sea and down to the Atlantic Ocean, finally landing in Lagos or Akwa Ibom.
The Submarine Cables That Power Nigeria’s Internet
Nigeria currently depends on seven major submarine cables for internet connectivity:
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Natcom (ntel) cable – 800 gigabits capacity
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MainOne cable – 10 terabits
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Glo-1 (Globacom) – 2.5 terabits
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ACE (African Coast to Europe) cable – 12.8 terabits
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WACS (West African Cable System) by MTN – 14.5 terabits
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Nigeria-Cameroon Cable System by CAMTEL & MainOne – 12.8 terabits
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Equiano Cable by Google – 100 terabits
The newest project, Meta’s 2Africa subsea cable, will land in Lagos and Akwa Ibom. At 45,000 kilometres long, it’s one of the world’s largest cable systems, expected to provide up to 180 terabits per second once fully active.
The Woman Behind One of Nigeria’s Key Cables
Funke Opeke, founder of MainOne Cable, played a huge role in improving Nigeria’s digital backbone. Her company laid one of the submarine cables passing through the Red Sea from Europe to Nigeria.
MainOne sells bulk internet capacity to banks, large companies, and telecom operators like MTN. These businesses then distribute internet access to millions of customers nationwide.
The Ripple Effect of the Houthi Attacks
When the Houthi rebels attacked the section of the submarine cable near Yemen, it crippled one of the internet gateways serving West Africa. This incident slowed down banking apps, disrupted online payments, and made browsing painfully slow for Nigerians.
The rebels openly admitted that they would continue sabotaging Red Sea infrastructure until Israel declares a ceasefire in Gaza. Unfortunately, that means ordinary Nigerians—who have no part in the conflict—are suffering the consequences.
How Globalisation Connects Us All
You might ask, “What does Gaza or Yemen have to do with Nigeria’s internet?”
The answer is globalisation.
Our modern world is deeply connected. Events in one country can instantly affect people thousands of kilometres away. The Red Sea may seem far from Lagos, but the data you use daily travels through that same route.
This is the other side of globalisation—a reminder that while it brings progress and interconnection, it also makes us vulnerable to global conflicts.
Final Thoughts
The Houthi attacks on undersea cables show just how fragile our modern systems are. From banking networks to streaming platforms, our daily lives depend on unseen infrastructure built beneath the sea.
As Nigeria continues to expand its digital economy, protecting these international cables and diversifying internet routes should become a national priority.
A single rebel group in Yemen shouldn’t have the power to silence an entire continent online.
