By Lanre Oloyede
The Federal Government plans to deploy more than 90,000 kilometres of open-access fibre-optic infrastructure across Nigeria’s 36 states by 2028 under its Project BRIDGE initiative.
The project, when completed, is expected to expand Nigeria’s fibre-optic backbone from approximately 35,000 kilometres to 125,000 kilometres and connect more than 200,000 schools, healthcare facilities and other public institutions nationwide.
National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, disclosed this during a virtual executive session with chief executives of the information technology industry on Wednesday.
Yilwatda, according to a statement issued on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, described digital infrastructure as critical to Nigeria’s economic transformation and ambitions in artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing and digital inclusion.
He said Project BRIDGE represented one of the Federal Government’s major interventions in the digital sector, with physical deployment scheduled to begin in October 2026 and completion targeted for 2028.
The APC chairman disclosed that about $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.
An additional €22 million grant from the European Union has also been secured, he said.
According to Yilwatda, Bridge Open Access was incorporated in August as an independent company to deliver the network, with the Federal Government expected to hold between 25 and 49 per cent equity through the Ministry of Finance Incorporated, while private investors would own between 51 and 75 per cent and retain operational control.
He, however, said an estimated $1.2 billion was still required from private investors to complete the project’s financing.
“Announcements do not lay cable,” he said, stressing that the initiative’s success would depend on effective implementation and sustained investment.
Yilwatda also cautioned that fibre deployment alone would not guarantee digital inclusion without complementary investments in electricity, affordable devices, data services, telecommunications towers 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, while fibre-to-the-home penetration remained relatively low at approximately 265,000 subscribers nationwide.
The APC chairman identified inconsistent right-of-way charges, multiple permits and the destruction of installed telecommunications infrastructure by government authorities as major obstacles to broadband expansion.
He said the APC National Secretariat would collaborate with the Progressive Governors’ Forum and state chapters to promote harmonised right-of-way charges and protect telecommunications infrastructure in APC-controlled states.
He also called on governors elected on other political platforms to support the initiative, arguing that digital infrastructure should transcend partisan considerations.
“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 further advocated the classification of fibre-optic infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure to strengthen protection against vandalism and accidental damage.
He called for closer coordination between road construction and telecommunications projects, proposing that federal and state road contracts include provisions for telecommunications ducts and require contractors to identify existing fibre cables before excavation.
“Building a road and destroying a broadband link in the same month is not development. It is waste,” he said.
On emerging technologies, Yilwatda said Nigeria must position itself to benefit from the growing adoption of artificial intelligence rather than depend entirely on technologies developed abroad.
He noted that the Federal Government had introduced a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy and a National Digital Cloud Policy aimed at attracting approximately $750 million in private investment into cloud and data infrastructure within 24 months.
He added that the country was targeting an increase in data-centre capacity from approximately 50 megawatts to 200 megawatts of IT load over the next five years.
However, he warned that achieving the targets would require substantial improvements in electricity supply, given the energy-intensive nature of data centres and AI infrastructure.
“An AI strategy without an energy strategy is incomplete,” he said, advocating greater use of embedded power generation, renewable energy arrangements and reliable gas supply for digital infrastructure clusters.
On data sovereignty, the APC chairman supported policies favouring certified local technology providers in public procurement where appropriate, but cautioned against protectionism that could raise costs, discourage investment or restrict access to international expertise.
He said Nigeria’s digital transformation would require sustained collaboration among governments, telecommunications operators, technology companies and investors.
