The Federal Government has set 2028 as the target for deploying 90,000 kilometres of fibre-optic infrastructure across Nigeria’s 36 states under Project BRIDGE, an initiative aimed at expanding broadband connectivity nationwide.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, disclosed this during a virtual meeting with chief executives in the information technology industry on Wednesday.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, Yilwatda said the project would expand Nigeria’s fibre-optic backbone from 35,000 kilometres to 125,000 kilometres.
He added that the initiative was expected to connect more than 200,000 schools, healthcare facilities and other public institutions, improving access to digital services across the country.
According to Yilwatda, Project BRIDGE has secured $800 million in financing from international development institutions, alongside a €22 million grant from the European Union.
Physical implementation is scheduled to begin in October 2026, while approximately $1.2 billion in private investment is still required to meet the project’s financing needs.
The APC chairman identified inconsistent right-of-way charges imposed on telecommunications infrastructure providers, vandalism of fibre-optic cables and inadequate electricity supply as major obstacles to the expansion of digital infrastructure.
He called for stronger collaboration among federal, state and local governments, as well as private-sector operators, to protect telecommunications infrastructure and improve access to affordable internet services.
Yilwatda also stressed the importance of reliable electricity supply in supporting Nigeria’s ambitions in artificial intelligence, cloud computing and data-centre development.
“An AI strategy without an energy strategy is incomplete,” he said.
The proposed expansion is expected to strengthen the country’s digital backbone and support wider connectivity for public institutions, businesses and individuals as Nigeria pursues its digital development objectives.
