Nigeria unveils 90,000 km fibre optic network to boost nationwide connectivity

The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, has launched a 90,000 km fibre optic infrastructure, ‘Project Bridge’, to accelerate connectivity across the country.

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Announcing the completion of ‘Project Bridge’ on Friday at a stakeholder event in Lagos, hosted in partnership with the Association of Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ATCON), the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani stated that the newly built fiber optic is the largest digital fibre backbone investment in any developing nation.

“Project Bridge is currently the largest digital fibre backbone investment in any developing nation. It is a bold and strategic effort to lay a 90,000km wholesale, open-access fibre network across the country,” the minister said in an update on his X handle.

“It is designed to deliver high-speed, resilient, and equitable broadband connectivity to every corner of Nigeria – from major urban hubs to remote communities.”

The minister said the project marks a major step forward in the Federal Government’s mission to build an inclusive and future-ready digital economy for Nigerians.

The project is a central part of Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan (2020-2025), which aims to boost internet penetration to 70 per cent by 2025 and 80 per cent for underserved populations by 2027.

Project Bridge, which is expected to create more jobs, will operate under a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to ensure efficiency and accountability.

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The connectivity project cost the government $2 billion, and it is being funded by DFI loans and private equity, with the government holding a minority stake of 25–49 per cent in an independently run SPV.

The project targets 20,000 direct and 150,000 indirect jobs, and 1.5 per cent GDP growth. It aims to contribute from $472.6 billion to $502 billion GDP in four years.

National backbone

According to the digital economy minister, Project Bridge is structured to support the needs of both large and small Internet Service Producers, ISPs. It offers scalable access through core, metropolitan, and middle-mile layers.

He promised that the digital fibre optic will accelerate fixed broadband growth nationwide by enabling healthy competition and network sharing.

The project will give an additional 90,000km to the existing 35,000km network of fibre optic cables, thereby deepening the country’s digital backbone.

Regional network

The project design possesses seven regional backbone rings, which interconnect Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones and Lagos.

These rings will form a resilient national framework of 125,000km of fibre that ensures redundancy, minimises latency, and supports seamless data flow across the country.

According to Mr Tijani, the structure is critical to meeting growing national demand for high-capacity digital infrastructure.

He further explained that each region is covered by a dedicated fibre ring to connect urban centers and enhance regional connectivity.

“Each region is covered by a dedicated fibre ring (Lagos, South West, South South, South East, North Central, North East, and North West), strategically planned to connect urban centres and enhance regional interconnectivity. This regional design supports economic activity, governance, education, and digital access across all zones,” he stated.

Points of Presence

Additionally, the network extends to all 774 Local Government Area (LGA) headquarters to establish Points of Presence (PoPs), which serve as key distribution points.

The presence of PoPs is to integrate remote regions with national digital frameworks, which are determined by population density and demand to accommodate future expansion.

The minister explained that Project Bridge will extend to linking the country’s administrative wards to close the distance gaps of networks in rural communities.

“From each LGA PoP, fibre links will extend to Nigeria’s administrative wards, particularly targeting schools and healthcare facilities.

“These ward-level nodes function as mini PoPs, enabling further last-mile distribution and helping close the access gap in rural communities. The average LGA-to-ward distance is ~6km, guiding deployment estimates.

“The last mile remains essential and will involve linking service providers to homes, offices, and institutions using fibre or other technologies. This final layer will be supported by the foundational middle-mile network, enabling broader internet access across Nigeria,” Mr Tijani said.