Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, on Wednesday announced fresh international funding commitments for Project BRIDGE, confirming new investments from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union.
Posting on X at the end of the final leg of the Project BRIDGE Investment Tour in Europe, Tijani disclosed that the Board of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has formally approved a $100 million investment in the project.
“As we conclude the final leg of our Project BRIDGE Investment Tour in Europe this week, following several extremely positive engagements, I am pleased to confirm the formal approval by the Board of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development @EBRD to proceed with a $100 million investment in Project BRIDGE,” he wrote.
He explained that the new commitment adds to the $500 million financing already approved by the World Bank Group for the same project.
“This investment comes in addition to the already approved $500 million financing from the @worldbankgroup for the Project,” he stated.
Earlier in the week, the minister also announced the signing of the European Union Digital Economy Package valued at €45 million. According to him, the package includes a €22 million grant specifically for Project BRIDGE. The remaining €23 million will support other digital initiatives, with €18 million allocated for Digital Public Services and €5 million to strengthen the 3MTT Nigeria Programme.
Tijani described the approvals as encouraging after weeks of engagements across Europe.
“These approvals are deeply reassuring as we reflect on the hard work and the air miles, across six countries in two weeks to secure the partnerships required to deploy 90,000km of fibre across Nigeria, delivering meaningful connectivity to all Nigerians,” he added.
Project BRIDGE, formally known as Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure for Growth, is the Federal Government’s plan to expand broadband infrastructure nationwide by deploying 90,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cables across Nigeria. The project is being driven by the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and is designed to significantly improve internet access across the country.
The initiative will be implemented through a Special Purpose Vehicle structured to attract private investment and encourage public-private partnerships. The government is seeking to draw in global financiers and technology partners to accelerate the rollout.
Before the latest funding announcements, the project had already secured major backing, including the $500 million financing package from the World Bank Group to support the fibre network expansion.
Despite ongoing efforts under the National Broadband Plan (2020–2025), broadband penetration in Nigeria has remained below expectations. Industry data indicates that broadband access has hovered between 41.5 percent and 48.8 percent, meaning less than half of the population currently enjoys reliable internet access.
Large parts of the population, particularly in rural and underserved communities, still lack consistent high-speed internet. Expanding fibre infrastructure is widely seen as a critical step toward closing this connectivity gap and improving access to online education, e-commerce, digital health services and remote work opportunities.
Under the National Broadband Plan, Nigeria set a target of achieving 70 percent broadband penetration by 2025. However, infrastructure challenges and bottlenecks have made it difficult to meet that goal, prompting renewed focus on large-scale projects such as Project BRIDGE.
