Nigeria has brought forward the timetable for one of its largest digital infrastructure projects, with the government now aiming to complete a planned 90,000-kilometre national fibre network within three years.
The revised schedule was announced by Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy Minister Bosun Tijani at Semafor’s The Next 3 Billion event in New York. The accelerated rollout is intended to strengthen Nigeria’s digital backbone and extend high-capacity connectivity to communities and businesses that remain underserved.
Known as Project BRIDGE, the initiative will expand Nigeria’s existing fibre footprint from roughly 30,000–35,000 kilometres to around 120,000–125,000 kilometres. The network is being designed as an open-access infrastructure platform, allowing telecommunications companies, internet service providers and other digital businesses to use the additional capacity.
Tijani said the expansion is necessary because access to a basic internet connection does not necessarily translate into reliable digital participation.
“What we do not have is meaningful connectivity, the sort of connectivity that you truly need to be able to benefit from the sort of innovation that we’re seeing,” Tijani said.
The government has previously estimated the project at about $2 billion, with development finance institutions and private investors expected to contribute to the funding structure. The World Bank has committed $500 million, while the African Development Bank approved a further $200 million in April.
Project BRIDGE is expected to increase network resilience while extending fibre infrastructure to areas where commercial deployment has been limited. More than 400 local government headquarters are among the locations targeted for connection, alongside schools, healthcare facilities and government institutions.
The scale of the project reflects Nigeria’s wider ambition to expand its digital economy. The government expects the programme to support a substantial rise in broadband adoption while improving network performance and reducing wholesale bandwidth costs.
However, the accelerated construction schedule will require extensive coordination between government agencies, contractors, telecommunications operators and local authorities. Right-of-way approvals, infrastructure protection and the logistical demands of deploying thousands of kilometres of fibre simultaneously across multiple regions will remain important factors as construction moves forward.
With the new three-year target, Nigeria is seeking to turn Project BRIDGE from a long-term infrastructure plan into a rapid nationwide rollout, providing the connectivity foundation needed for digital public services, cloud computing, fintech and other technology-driven sectors.