Nigeria has unveiled the technical blueprint for Project BRIDGE, a $2 billion fibre expansion set to create one of the largest national broadband backbones in the developing world, extending the country’s network from 35,000 to over 125,000 kilometres.

The project, presented in Lagos over the weekend by Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Bosun Tijani, will link all six geopolitical zones to Lagos through seven main fibre rings. It will also feature 37 city-level loops, 77 regional networks, and multiple edge data centres.

Each of Nigeria’s 774 local government headquarters will host a Point of Presence (PoP), acting as internet distribution hubs for surrounding areas. From these hubs, fibre will run to smaller wards, prioritising schools, health centres, and underserved communities. On average, each PoP will be located six kilometres from the wards it serves.

“Over the past two years, we have worked tirelessly on what is arguably the most ambitious and foundational digital infrastructure project in Nigeria’s history,” Tijani said.

The phased rollout will prioritise high-demand areas, with the core, metropolitan, and middle-mile network layers designed to serve both large and small internet service providers, fostering competition and faster last-mile connectivity.

Project BRIDGE will be delivered through a Special Purpose Vehicle, with the Federal Government holding a 51% stake and private sector partners owning 49%. Funding commitments include $500 million from the World Bank, $200 million from the African Development Bank, and additional support from the European Investment Bank, Islamic Development Bank, and private investors.

Initially announced in June 2024 under the National Broadband Plan (2020–2025) and approved later that year, large-scale deployment is scheduled to begin in Q4 2025, with a target launch in early 2026.

Middle-mile capacity has long been a bottleneck for Nigeria’s broadband growth, despite abundant undersea bandwidth at its shores. Current fibre rollouts of 5,000 km per year have fallen short of demand a gap the government aims to close with this initiative.

Industry stakeholders say the network will boost governance, education, economic activity, and digital services nationwide, while enhancing regional integration within ECOWAS and supporting initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Wole Abu, Managing Director for West Africa at Equinix, called telecommunications the “engine room of economic growth,” adding that without a strong backbone, Nigeria risked falling behind in delivering essential services.

“We are excited to witness Nigeria taking bold steps towards digital transformation,” Abu said.