The Federal Government plans to deploy 90,000 kilometres of open-access fibre-optic network across the 36 states of the federation by 2028 under Project BRIDGE, an initiative aimed at expanding broadband connectivity and strengthening Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, disclosed this during a virtual executive session with chief executive officers in the information technology industry.
Yilwatda said the project, when completed, would increase Nigeria’s combined fibre backbone from about 35,000 kilometres to 125,000 kilometres and connect more than 200,000 schools, healthcare facilities and other public institutions.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Media and Information, Abimbola Tooki, the APC national chairman described digital infrastructure as essential to Nigeria’s economic transformation.
He said the country’s ambitions in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, digital inclusion and a technology-driven economy depended on reliable, affordable and widespread connectivity.
According to him, the physical deployment of Project BRIDGE is scheduled to begin in October 2026, with the implementation period reduced from five years to three years, paving the way for completion by 2028.
Yilwatda disclosed that Bridge Open Access was incorporated in August as an independent company to deliver the network, with the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Finance Incorporated, expected to hold between 25 and 49 per cent equity, while private investors would own between 51 and 75 per cent and retain operational control.
He explained that the arrangement was designed to enable the government to provide strategic support and reduce investment risks, while private investors contribute capital, operational efficiency and discipline.
The APC chairman said about 800 million dollars in sovereign financing had been secured for the project, comprising 500 million dollars from the World Bank, 100 million dollars from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and 200 million dollars from the African Development Bank. An additional 22 million euros grant from the European Union has also been secured.
However, Yilwatda noted that the project would require about 1.2 billion dollars in private investment to meet its outstanding financing needs.
He stressed that the success of the initiative would depend on effective implementation rather than policy announcements, declaring that “announcements do not lay cable.”
The APC chairman also warned that fibre deployment alone would not guarantee digital inclusion without complementary investments in electricity, affordable devices, data services, telecommunications towers, backhaul infrastructure and last-mile connectivity.
He observed that fibre-optic infrastructure remained concentrated in major urban centres, with Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory accounting for more than 18 per cent of deployed fibre.
Yilwatda added that fibre-to-the-home penetration remained low, with only about 265,000 subscribers nationwide.
He identified right-of-way charges, multiple permits and inconsistent regulatory requirements as major challenges facing telecommunications operators.
To address these concerns, he said the APC would collaborate with the Progressive Governors’ Forum and state chapters to promote harmonised right-of-way terms and strengthen the protection of telecommunications infrastructure.
Yilwatda also called for fibre-optic infrastructure to be designated as critical national information infrastructure, warning that vandalism and damage arising from road construction and other civil works could undermine investments in digital connectivity.
He advocated closer coordination between road construction and telecommunications projects, proposing that road contracts include provisions for telecommunications ducts and require contractors to identify and protect existing fibre-optic cables before excavation.
