Nigeria’s federal government is accelerating its digital transition to strengthen inclusion and modernize its infrastructure. Faced with still-limited broadband access and a growing market, the country is banking on ambitious projects to connect its populations.

The World Bank approved $500 million in financing for Nigeria on Tuesday, September 30, under the Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure for Growth (BRIDGE) project. The initiative, led by the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and the Digital Economy, aims to address structural gaps that hinder broadband access in underserved areas.

With a total cost of $1.6 billion, the project will be financed to the tune of $1.1 billion by private investors, with additional support from the African Development Bank, the European Investment Bank, and the Islamic Development Bank. It involves the deployment of approximately 90,000 km of climate-resilient fiber optics, powered, where necessary, by renewable energy solutions. The implementation plan includes seven national rings, 37 metropolitan loops, 77 regional networks, and several peripheral data centers.

The government’s goal is to expand the national backbone from the current 35,000 km to more than 125,000 km, to cover 70% of the population in the coming months. “Over the past two years, we have worked tirelessly on what is arguably the most ambitious and fundamental digital infrastructure project in Nigeria’s history,” said Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy Bosun Tijani in August, unveiling the technical design of BRIDGE.

This announcement comes as Nigeria faces a slowdown in broadband expansion. According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the combined fixed and mobile internet penetration rate fell to 48.01% in July 2025, marking a decline for the second consecutive month from 48.81% in May. The total number of connections also declined, from 105.7 million in June to about 104 million in July, highlighting the urgency of strengthening the nation’s digital infrastructure.

By strengthening the country’s digital backbone, the BRIDGE project is expected to support more inclusive economic growth, improve the delivery of digital public services in health, education and governance, while boosting Nigeria’s fintech and startup ecosystem.

Source: Agence Ecofin