FG’s 90,000km Fibre Project To Connect 200,000 Schools, Hospitals By 2028
OpenLife News reports that the Federal Government’s digital backbone initiative will deploy 90,000 kilometres of open-access fibre across the 36 states by 2028, expanding Nigeria’s national backbone from 35,000km to about 125,000km.
National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, disclosed this on Wednesday during a virtual executive session with Chief Executive Officers in the Information Technology industry.
According to Yilwatda, the project, tagged Project BRIDGE, will connect over 200,000 public institutions, including schools and health facilities nationwide.
He described digital infrastructure as fundamental to Nigeria’s economic transformation, noting that ambitions in artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital inclusion cannot be achieved without robust and affordable connectivity.
Yilwatda explained that the Federal Government in August incorporated Bridge Open Access as an independent company to deliver the network. Under the structure, government through the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) will hold between 25 and 49 per cent equity, while private investors will hold 51 to 75 per cent and retain operational control.
“The structure was deliberately designed to ensure that government provides de-risking and strategic support while the private sector brings operational discipline, investment and efficiency,” he said.
He disclosed that $800 million in sovereign financing has already been secured – $500 million from the World Bank, $100 million from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, $200 million from the African Development Bank, and a €22 million grant from the European Union.
Physical rollout is scheduled to begin in October 2026, with the delivery timeline compressed from five years to three years for completion in 2028.
“When completed, the project is expected to take Nigeria’s combined backbone from about 35,000 kilometres to around 125,000 kilometres and connect more than 200,000 schools, health facilities and other public institutions,” he said.
Yilwatda, however, cautioned that implementation will determine success.
“Announcements do not lay cable,” he said, adding that about $1.2 billion in private capital is still required to fully finance the project.
He stressed that fibre alone would not guarantee inclusion without complementary investments in power, affordable devices and data, towers, backhaul and last-mile connectivity.
He noted that fibre deployment remains concentrated in urban centres, with Lagos and the FCT accounting for over 18 per cent of deployed fibre, while fibre-to-the-home penetration is low with about 265,000 subscribers nationwide.
The APC chairman identified high and inconsistent Right-of-Way charges, multiple permits and destruction of telecom infrastructure by some state and local authorities as major impediments.
He said the APC National Secretariat would work with the Progressive Governors’ Forum and state chapters to promote harmonised, cost-reflective RoW charges and protection of telecom infrastructure in APC states, while inviting governors from other parties to collaborate.
“Infrastructure has no party. Our objective should be to create an environment in which every Nigerian, regardless of political affiliation or location, can benefit from the digital economy,” he said.
Yilwatda called for the designation and protection of fibre infrastructure as Critical National Information Infrastructure (CNII), warning that vandalism and accidental cuts could undermine investments.
He also decried frequent fibre cuts caused by road construction and excavation, describing it as a coordination failure.
He commended the Federal Ministries of Works and Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy for setting up a Standing Committee on the Protection of Fibre Optic Cables, but urged that it be extended to states and local governments. He proposed that all federal and state road contracts should include provisions for telecom ducts and mandatory protection of existing fibre before excavation.
“Building a road and destroying a broadband link in the same month is not development. It is waste,” he said.
On AI and cloud infrastructure, Yilwatda said the next decade would be defined by AI, and Nigeria must choose to shape it, not just consume it.
“The question for Nigeria is not whether AI will shape our economy. It will. The question is whether we will shape it, or simply rent it,” he said.
He referenced the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy and the National Digital Cloud Policy targeting $750 million in private investment within 24 months, with $250 million in the first year, and plans to expand data-centre capacity from 50 megawatts to 200 megawatts of IT load in five years.
He said such targets require a coherent energy strategy.
“An AI strategy without an energy strategy is incomplete,” he stated, calling for priority for digital infrastructure in power-sector planning through embedded generation, renewables and reliable gas supply to digital clusters.
On data sovereignty, he supported preference for certified local providers in public procurement where appropriate, but warned against protectionism that raises costs or discourages investment.
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