Nigeria has secured $126 million in new European backing for Project BRIDGE, the federal government’s flagship plan to expand fibre-optic infrastructure nationwide and close the country’s connectivity gap.
The funding includes a $100 million investment approved by the Board of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), alongside a €22 million (about $26 million) European Union grant earmarked specifically for the fibre project. The commitments come in addition to the $500 million already approved by the World Bank.
Communications Minister Bosun Tijani announced the approvals after a two-week investment tour across six European countries, describing the commitments as a major vote of confidence in Nigeria’s digital infrastructure ambitions.
Project BRIDGE aims to expand Nigeria’s fibre backbone from roughly 35,000 kilometres to 125,000 kilometres, deploying about 90,000 kilometres of new fibre to connect all 774 local government areas.
The government says the rollout will underpin high-speed broadband, support digital public services, enable remote work and strengthen Nigeria’s AI and data infrastructure capacity.
Beyond the fibre-specific funding, the European Union also signed a broader €45 million Digital Economy Package for Nigeria. Of this, €18 million will support improvements in digital public services, while €5 million is allocated to the government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme.
The World Bank’s $500 million financing, signed in December 2025, is structured under a pay-for-results model. Disbursements will be tied to milestones, including the creation of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to manage the project and phased fibre deployment targets of 5,000km, 25,000km and 65,000km built to agreed technical standards.
Early-stage implementation has begun. In February, the ministry awarded a ₦451.9 million supply-chain advisory contract to a consortium led by Bluechip Technologies to design the first 40,000 kilometres of fibre routes.
With development finance now exceeding $600 million, Project BRIDGE represents one of Nigeria’s most ambitious infrastructure bets in recent years — and a central plank in the government’s strategy to position digital connectivity as a driver of economic growth.
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