The Federal Government plans to deploy more than 90,000 kilometres of open-access fibre-optic cables across Nigeria’s 36 states by 2028 under Project BRIDGE, a digital infrastructure initiative expected to expand broadband access and connect more than 200,000 public institutions.
National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, disclosed this on Wednesday during a virtual executive session with chief executives in the information technology industry in Abuja.
According to Yilwatda, the project will increase Nigeria’s combined fibre backbone from approximately 35,000 kilometres to 125,000 kilometres when completed.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Information, Abimbola Tooki, the APC chairman described digital infrastructure as essential to Nigeria’s economic transformation, arguing that ambitions in artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital inclusion would depend on reliable and affordable connectivity.
He described Project BRIDGE, which is designed to deploy 90,000 kilometres of open-access fibre, as one of the country’s most significant digital infrastructure initiatives.
Yilwatda said Bridge Open Access was incorporated as an independent company in August to deliver the project. Under the proposed ownership structure, the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Finance Incorporated, is expected to hold between 25 and 49 per cent, while private investors will own between 51 and 75 per cent and retain operational control.
He said the arrangement was designed to combine government support and risk mitigation with private-sector investment, operational discipline and efficiency.
$800m Financing Secured for Project BRIDGE
Yilwatda disclosed that approximately $800 million in sovereign financing had been secured for the project, comprising $500 million from the World Bank, $100 million from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and $200 million from the African Development Bank. The initiative has also received a €22 million grant from the European Union.
Physical deployment is scheduled to begin in October 2026, with the delivery timeline shortened from five years to three years and completion targeted for 2028.
“When completed, the project is expected to take Nigeria’s combined backbone from about 35,000 kilometres to around 125,000 kilometres and connect more than 200,000 schools, health facilities and other public institutions,” Yilwatda said.
However, he warned that implementation, rather than policy announcements, would determine the project’s success.
“Announcements do not lay cable,” he said, adding that the initiative still required approximately $1.2 billion in private capital to meet its financing needs.
The APC chairman also cautioned that fibre deployment alone would not guarantee digital inclusion without complementary investments in electricity, affordable devices and data services, telecommunications towers, backhaul infrastructure and last-mile connectivity.
He noted that fibre infrastructure remained concentrated in major urban centres, with Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory accounting for more than 18 per cent of deployed fibre. Fibre-to-the-home penetration also remained relatively low, with approximately 265,000 subscribers nationwide.
APC Moves to Address Fibre Deployment Barriers
Yilwatda identified right-of-way charges, inconsistent regulatory requirements and damage to installed telecommunications infrastructure as major obstacles to expanding connectivity.
He said operators faced varying right-of-way fees and multiple permit requirements, while some state and local government authorities had damaged existing infrastructure.
He argued that the APC’s presence in the Federal Government and several state governments provided a platform for coordinating efforts to address these challenges.
Accordingly, he said the party’s national secretariat would work with the Progressive Governors’ Forum and APC state chapters to promote harmonised, cost-reflective right-of-way terms and practical measures to protect telecommunications infrastructure.
He also invited governors from other political parties to participate, stressing that digital infrastructure development should transcend partisan interests.
“Infrastructure has no party. Our objective should be to create an environment in which every Nigerian, regardless of political affiliation or location, can benefit from the digital economy,” he said.
Yilwatda called for fibre-optic infrastructure to be designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure, arguing that vandalism and accidental damage could undermine substantial public and private investments.
He also advocated closer coordination between road construction and telecommunications projects, noting that excavation and civil works accounted for a significant number of fibre cuts.
While commending the Federal Ministries of Works and Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy for establishing a Standing Committee on the Protection of Fibre Optic Cables, he urged the initiative to be extended to state and local governments.
He proposed that federal and state road contracts include provisions for telecommunications ducts and require contractors to identify and protect existing fibre infrastructure before excavation.
“Building a road and destroying a broadband link in the same month is not development. It is a waste,” he said.
He added that the APC would use its political structures to encourage coordination among state governments, local authorities, road contractors and telecommunications operators.
Yilwatda Calls for Greater Investment in AI and Data Centres
On artificial intelligence, cloud computing and data centres, Yilwatda said the coming decade would be shaped significantly by advances in AI, urging Nigeria to become an active participant in the technology’s development rather than merely consuming innovations created elsewhere.
“The question for Nigeria is not whether AI will shape our economy. It will. The question is whether we will shape it, or simply rent it,” he said.
He noted that Nigeria had a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, while the Federal Government had also unveiled the National Digital Cloud Policy, which aims to attract approximately $750 million in private investment into cloud and data infrastructure within 24 months, including $250 million in the first year.
Yilwatda added that the government and industry were working towards increasing Nigeria’s data-centre capacity from approximately 50 megawatts to 200 megawatts of IT load over the next five years.
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