Project BRIDGE, formally known as Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure for Growth, is designed to deploy approximately 90,000 kilometers of new fibre-optic infrastructure across Nigeria.
Nigeria has moved its planned nationwide fibre infrastructure programme, Project BRIDGE, from the planning phase into execution following the incorporation of Bridge Open Access (Bridge OA), an independent company established to oversee delivery of the initiative.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, announced the development, describing the incorporation as a major milestone in the implementation of Project BRIDGE.
According to Tijani, Bridge OA will oversee the delivery of what is expected to become one of Africa’s largest open-access fibre infrastructure programmes. He said the incorporation provides the institutional platform required to complete strategic investor onboarding and accelerate the nationwide deployment of broadband infrastructure.
Project BRIDGE, formally known as Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure for Growth, is designed to deploy approximately 90,000 kilometers of new fibre-optic infrastructure across Nigeria. The network is expected to extend connectivity beyond existing commercial centers and reach all 774 local government areas, expanding broadband access to underserved communities and institutions.
The project is being implemented through a public-private partnership model, under which private-sector investors are expected to hold the majority stake in the project company while the Federal Government retains a minority position. Bridge OA will serve as the corporate vehicle for investor participation and the physical rollout of the fibre network.
The incorporation follows several financing and preparatory activities around the programme. Development finance institutions, including the World Bank, African Development Bank and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, have committed financing towards the broader fibre expansion programme, while the government has also been pursuing private-sector investment.
The planned infrastructure is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s digital backbone by addressing connectivity gaps and supporting key sectors such as telecommunications, education, healthcare, businesses and digital services. By extending fibre infrastructure to all local government areas, the project also aims to improve access in communities that remain underserved by existing broadband networks.
With Bridge OA now incorporated, the focus shifts towards completing investor onboarding and beginning physical fibre deployment. The development marks a significant transition for Project BRIDGE, moving it from institutional planning and financing towards the execution of nationwide digital infrastructure.