Nigeria Plans 90,000km Fiber Network to Connect Schools

More than 200,000 schools and hospitals across Nigeria are about to get high-speed internet for the first time. Project BRIDGE, launching this month, will triple the nation's fiber optic network and bring affordable connectivity to communities that have been left behind.

The ambitious infrastructure plan will roll out 90,000 kilometers of open-access fiber across all 36 Nigerian states by 2028. That's enough cable to circle the Earth twice, and it will expand Nigeria's combined fiber backbone from 35,000 kilometers to 125,000 kilometers in just three years.

The project has already secured $800 million in funding from the World Bank, African Development Bank, and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, plus a €22 million grant from the European Union. Another $1.2 billion in private investment is needed to complete the financing.

Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, announced the timeline during a virtual session with IT industry leaders. He emphasized that robust internet access is essential for Nigeria to participate in artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and the global digital economy.

The government created Bridge Open Access as an independent company to deliver the network. Private investors will hold majority ownership between 51 and 75 percent and maintain operational control, while the government retains a strategic stake of 25 to 49 percent through the Ministry of Finance.

This public-private structure aims to combine government support with private sector efficiency and investment. The original five-year timeline has been shortened to three years, with physical deployment beginning in October 2026.

Currently, fiber infrastructure clusters in major cities, with Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory accounting for over 18 percent of deployed fiber. Only about 265,000 subscribers nationwide have fiber-to-the-home connections.

The Ripple Effect

Connecting schools to high-speed internet opens doors that extend far beyond the classroom. Students in rural areas will access the same online learning resources as their urban peers, leveling the educational playing field across Nigeria's diverse regions.

Healthcare facilities with reliable connectivity can implement telemedicine, allowing patients in remote areas to consult with specialists without traveling hundreds of kilometers. Small businesses in underserved communities can reach online markets and customers they could never access before.

The infrastructure will also support Nigeria's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy and National Digital Cloud Policy, which aims to attract $750 million in data center and cloud infrastructure investment within two years.

Yilwatda acknowledged that laying fiber alone won't guarantee digital inclusion. The initiative must be paired with investments in electricity, affordable devices, data services, and last-mile connectivity to reach individual homes and businesses.

He also called for protecting fiber optic cables as Critical National Information Infrastructure and urged better coordination between road construction and telecommunications projects. Many existing cables get damaged during excavation because contractors don't identify them before digging.

By 2028, Nigeria's digital landscape could look dramatically different, with millions more people connected to opportunity.