Nigeria has incorporated a new company to drive the delivery of its planned 90,000-kilometre nationwide fibre network, marking a major step in the federal government’s effort to expand broadband access and strengthen the country’s digital economy.
The company, Bridge Open Access (Bridge OA), will serve as the independent entity responsible for delivering the nationwide open-access fibre infrastructure programme under Project BRIDGE.
Bosun Tijani, minister of communications, innovation, and digital economy, announced the development on on Saturday, describing Bridge OA as the institutional platform that will move Project BRIDGE from planning into execution.
He said the company will also complete the onboarding of strategic investors and accelerate the deployment of broadband infrastructure across the country.
“This marks the transition from planning to execution, creating the institutional platform that will complete strategic investor onboarding, accelerate nationwide broadband deployment, and position Nigeria as a regional digital connectivity hub for West Africa,” Tijani said via X platform.
The project is designed to take fibre infrastructure far beyond Nigeria’s major urban centres. The planned network will extend to every state, geopolitical zone, local government area and ward in the country.
The government’s immediate focus is now shifting toward physical deployment. Tijani disclosed days before the incorporation announcement that work on the 90,000-kilometre fibre network would begin within the next few weeks.
He said resource mobilisation and contractual processes for the nationwide project had already been concluded, clearing the way for deployment.
Nigeria announced the 90,000-kilometre fibre plan in August 2025 as part of efforts to deepen internet access and digital inclusion.
The scale of the project could provide a stronger backbone for Nigeria’s expanding digital economy, supporting businesses, technology companies, digital services, education, public institutions and other activities that depend increasingly on reliable broadband connectivity.
Its nationwide reach is also designed to expand access to digital opportunities beyond major cities, connecting communities and businesses to the infrastructure required to participate more fully in the digital economy.
With Bridge OA now incorporated and the government saying the necessary mobilisation and contractual groundwork has been completed, Project BRIDGE is moving into its implementation phase.
If delivered as planned, the 90,000-kilometre network would significantly expand Nigeria’s fibre infrastructure and strengthen the country’s ambition to become a regional digital connectivity hub for West Africa.
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