The Federal Government is seeking about $1.2bn in private capital to support its planned 90,000-kilometre nationwide fibre network, with physical deployment expected to begin in October.
The project, known as Project BRIDGE, is estimated to cost about $2bn, of which $800m has already been secured through sovereign financing commitments from international development institutions.
The secured funding comprises a $500m World Bank facility approved in October 2025, a $100m loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development approved in February 2026, and a $200m African Development Bank loan approved in April 2026.
The European Union has also provided a €22m grant to support the project.
Strategic Communications Adviser to the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, Osibo Imhoitsike, said the project had attracted significant support from international development finance institutions, while efforts to mobilise private-sector investment were ongoing.
“The government has received a significant private sector investment offer as part of the PPP structure, and that process is currently being concluded,” Imhoitsike said.
The minister had confirmed in August that physical rollout of the network was expected to commence in October, following the incorporation of Bridge Open Access, or Bridge OA, as the special-purpose vehicle established to implement the project.
Telecom consultant Ejike Onyeaso said the establishment of Bridge OA indicated that the project had entered its implementation phase.
According to him, the network could help reduce infrastructure costs for mobile network operators and internet service providers, particularly those operating in underserved and rural communities.
The Federal Government had in March 2025 opened an investor consultation process, inviting private-sector companies to express interest in participating in the project through a public-private partnership arrangement.
In April 2026, Tijani said the government was mobilising private capital to bridge the remaining funding gap after securing more than $800m for the project.
Project BRIDGE is designed to expand Nigeria’s existing fibre network from about 35,000km to approximately 125,000km, providing additional high-speed broadband infrastructure across the country.
The World Bank said the programme was aimed at narrowing Nigeria’s digital divide by expanding access to affordable, high-speed broadband in underserved and unserved communities.
The bank’s Country Director for Nigeria, Mathew Verghis, said improved internet access would support job creation and strengthen essential services, including education and healthcare, across the country’s 774 local government areas.
Under the proposed structure, private investors are expected to hold a majority stake of between 51 and 75 per cent in Bridge OA, alongside operational control. The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Finance Incorporated, is expected to retain between 25 and 49 per cent.
Bridge OA will be responsible for financing, constructing and operating the network as a wholesale open-access infrastructure company. It will provide fibre capacity to qualified operators, including telecommunications companies, internet service providers, banks and cloud service providers, rather than directly providing internet services to consumers.
The fibre rollout was initially targeted for the fourth quarter of 2025 or the first quarter of 2026. However, large-scale construction was delayed as the government worked to establish the special-purpose vehicle, secure private investors and complete procurement and implementation arrangements.
The project was originally expected to be delivered over five years, with about 30,000km targeted in the first year. Tijani has since revised the implementation timeline to three years, bringing forward the expected completion of the 90,000km network.
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