Nigeria has taken a major step toward expanding nationwide internet access with the formal incorporation of Bridge Open Access (Bridge OA), the independent company created to deliver Project BRIDGE, one of the country’s most ambitious digital infrastructure initiatives.
Project BRIDGE, officially known as the Digital Value Chain Infrastructure Project, is a $2 billion programme designed to deploy at least 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable across Nigeria. The network is expected to strengthen the country’s digital backbone and extend high speed broadband connectivity to underserved communities across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. (Federal Ministry of Comm. & Digital Economy)
The incorporation of Bridge OA gives the project a dedicated corporate structure through which the nationwide fibre network can be financed, developed and operated. The company is expected to function as an independent wholesale open-access infrastructure provider, allowing telecommunications operators, internet service providers and other digital businesses to access the network rather than requiring each provider to build expensive parallel infrastructure.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, described the development as an important transition from planning to execution. According to the ministry, the incorporation provides the institutional framework needed to complete investor onboarding and begin physical cable deployment.
The project has attracted significant support from international development finance institutions. The World Bank approved $500 million for the initiative in 2025, while the African Development Bank approved a further $200 million in April 2026. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has also committed $100 million to Nigeria’s sovereign fibre project.
Beyond improving internet speeds, Project BRIDGE is intended to create the infrastructure needed for Nigeria’s growing digital economy. A stronger national fibre backbone could support digital businesses, financial technology, e-government services, online education, healthcare, remote work and other internet-dependent industries.
The World Bank estimates that the project will expand Nigeria’s national fibre backbone from roughly 35,000 kilometres to about 125,000 kilometres, significantly increasing the country’s capacity to support reliable digital connectivity.
With Bridge OA now incorporated, attention shifts to investor participation, project mobilisation and the physical deployment of the fibre network. If successfully implemented, Project BRIDGE could become a defining piece of Nigeria’s digital infrastructure, helping move reliable broadband beyond major urban centres and closer to communities across the country.
