Nigeria’s Project BRIDGE Gets €123m Funding From EU, EBRD

Nigeria has secured a significant financial boost for its ambitious national broadband project, Project BRIDGE, following the approval of major investments from two European development partners.

The minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, announced on Wednesday that the Board of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has approved a $100 million investment in the project. Concurrently, the European Union has signed a €45 million Digital Economy Package for Nigeria, which includes a direct grant for the fibre initiative.

Dr Tijani disclosed the developments via his official X (formerly Twitter) handle, detailing the outcomes of a two-week investment mission across six European countries.

The EU’s Digital Economy Package will channel €22 million (approximately $26 million) as a direct grant to Project BRIDGE. An additional €18 million is allocated for enhancing digital public services, while €5 million will support the government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme.

The minister described the approvals as a strong vote of confidence in Nigeria’s digital infrastructure strategy. “These approvals are deeply reassuring as we reflect on the hard work and air miles, across six countries in two weeks, to secure the partnerships required to deploy 90,000km of fibre across Nigeria,” he stated.

Project BRIDGE aims to expand Nigeria’s fibre-optic backbone from the current 35,000 kilometres to 125,000 kilometres. The goal is to provide high-speed internet connectivity across all 774 local government areas, thereby strengthening the country’s capacity for digital services, remote work, and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.

The EBRD’s commitment is one of its largest to Nigeria’s digital infrastructure sector. This fresh European backing complements a $500 million financing agreement secured with the World Bank in late 2025, signalling strong international confidence in the project’s commercial viability and strategic importance.

The World Bank’s funding operates on a pay-for-results model. The first tranche of $6 million is expected in 2026 to facilitate the establishment of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to manage the project. Subsequent disbursements, including a $155 million tranche in 2027, are tied to achieving specific rollout milestones, such as the completion of the first 5,000 kilometres of fibre to technical standards.

Meanwhile, preliminary technical work is already advancing. On February 17, the Ministry awarded a N451.9 million ($335,000) supply-chain advisory contract to a consortium led by Bluechip Technologies Limited. Hence, the firm is tasked with designing the initial 40,000 kilometres of fibre routes for the project.