FG Incorporates Bridge Open Access to Deliver 90,000km Nationwide Fibre Network

Nigeria’s $2bn Fibre Expansion Moves Forward as FG Incorporates Bridge Open Access

The Federal Government has incorporated Bridge Open Access (Bridge OA), the independent company established to deliver Nigeria’s planned 90,000-kilometre nationwide fibre-optic network under Project BRIDGE.

The development marks a major implementation step for the Federal Government’s $2 billion Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure for Growth (Project BRIDGE), which aims to expand Nigeria’s digital backbone and extend high-speed internet connectivity across the country.

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Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, announced the incorporation on Saturday, August 8, 2026, describing it as a transition from project planning and financing to implementation.

Bridge Open Access to drive Project BRIDGE

According to the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Project BRIDGE involves the deployment of at least 90,000km of fibre-optic cables as a national connectivity backbone.

The ministry established the project as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) structure designed to operate independently and provide wholesale open-access infrastructure to telecommunications and other service providers.

The Federal Government said Bridge OA will provide the institutional platform required to complete investor onboarding and commence nationwide deployment.

Tijani said the incorporation creates the structure needed to accelerate broadband deployment and support Nigeria’s ambition to become a regional digital connectivity hub.

Private investors to hold majority stake

Project BRIDGE operates under a public-private partnership structure, with private investors expected to hold the majority ownership of Bridge OA.

Under the structure outlined by the Federal Government, the government will retain between 25% and 49% of the company, while private-sector investors will hold at least 51%.

The structure is designed to give private investors a significant role in financing, managing and deploying the network while maintaining government participation in the strategic infrastructure project.

The Federal Ministry had previously described Project BRIDGE as an independently managed limited liability company that would operate with private-sector participation.

Project has been under development since 2024

The Federal Executive Council approved the establishment of an SPV for the 90,000km fibre rollout in May 2024.

At the time, the Federal Government said the additional fibre infrastructure would complement Nigeria’s existing network and strengthen connectivity nationwide.

The planned 90,000km rollout was expected to increase the country's fibre backbone from about 35,000km to approximately 125,000km at the time of the original announcement.

The government also said the infrastructure would support connectivity for more than 200,000 educational, healthcare and other social institutions, particularly in underserved communities.

The Federal Ministry subsequently opened an investor consultation process in March 2025, seeking private-sector participation in the proposed Project BRIDGE SPV.

Financing for the project takes shape

The incorporation of Bridge OA follows several financing developments involving international development institutions.

The World Bank approved $500 million for Project BRIDGE in 2025 to support the deployment of the 90,000km fibre network. The financing structure provides for an SPV to manage the network and provide wholesale open-access services.

In February 2026, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) approved a $100 million sovereign loan to support Nigeria’s participation in the project, while the European Union announced a €22 million grant linked to the fibre rollout.

The African Development Bank subsequently approved a further $200 million loan for Project BRIDGE in April 2026, adding to the financing commitments already secured for the initiative.

The Federal Government also began the process of selecting private-sector investors to participate in the project.

Nigeria's existing fibre network remains unevenly distributed

The new network is expected to address gaps in Nigeria’s existing digital infrastructure.

Data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), analysed by Nairametrics, shows that Nigeria had 101,148.36km of deployed fibre-optic cable across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

However, a significant portion of the network remains concentrated in the country’s major commercial and administrative centres.

Lagos and the FCT together accounted for 18,559.83km, representing 18.35% of the country's deployed fibre network.

Project BRIDGE is therefore designed to extend fibre infrastructure beyond established connectivity hubs and improve access across underserved parts of the country.

Nationwide connectivity remains the central objective

The Federal Government's broader objective is to use the fibre backbone to expand broadband availability and support digital services across Nigeria.

The Federal Ministry's Project BRIDGE framework identifies improved connectivity for schools, healthcare facilities and other institutions as key outcomes of the programme.

The ministry also expects the infrastructure to support digital inclusion, economic activity and access to online services in communities that remain underserved by existing broadband infrastructure.

With Bridge OA now incorporated, the project has moved beyond the establishment and financing stages towards the corporate and operational structure required for implementation.

What happens next

The incorporation of Bridge Open Access provides the vehicle through which the Federal Government can proceed with private investor onboarding and physical deployment of the 90,000km network.

The Federal Ministry has previously stated that Project BRIDGE will be implemented through a combination of development-finance funding and private-sector equity, with the government maintaining a minority stake.

The next stage will therefore centre on completing investor participation, project mobilisation and the rollout of the fibre infrastructure across the country.

The incorporation represents a key milestone in the Federal Government’s effort to expand Nigeria’s national digital backbone and establish a more geographically distributed broadband infrastructure.

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