The ministry, in a consultation document recently released, said the initiative, named ‘Project Bridge: Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure for Growth’, seeks to establish a nationwide fibre network to enhance connectivity, support economic growth, and drive digital transformation.
The ministry noted that this project aimed to boost broadband penetration and strengthen the country’s digital infrastructure.
According to the ministry, the project will be executed under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, with the Nigerian government retaining a stake of between 25 per cent and 49 per cent in the SPV.
The SPV will operate as an independent limited liability company, managed by a board of directors with expertise in telecommunications, infrastructure, and finance.
The Ministry said the invitation to private sector players aligned with the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) Act, 2005 and the National Policy on PPP.
“The ministry is issuing this invitation to ensure transparency, fairness, and accountability in the Project’s implementation and private sector engagement,” it stated.
The consultation document noted that private sector participants, including local and foreign investment firms, must meet some criteria.
According to the ministry, the first is the legal status of the firm. It must be a registered entity in its country of incorporation.
Industry experience is very important. The company must have a proven track record in broadband/telecommunications or large-scale infrastructure projects; the participating firm must demonstrate strong financial capacity to fund equity investments and be prepared to align with national goals. It must support Nigeria’s broadband and digital economy objectives; corporate governance is equally important, as the firm must comply with international best practices in governance.
The Ministry strongly encourages all interested private sector partners to complete the consultation form.
It informed that following this consultation, the information received will be reviewed and considered before finalising the Project structure.
It added that further stakeholder engagements may be conducted as the Project progresses.
“A competitive bidding process will commence eventually, beginning with the advertisement of a Request for Expression of Interest by Nigeria’s public procurement process. The Ministry looks forward to active participation and contributions from all stakeholders in shaping Nigeria’s digital future under Project Bridge.
“All information submitted through the consultation form will be treated as confidential and will be used solely to assess potential interest in Project Bridge, in line with applicable data protection laws,” the ministry stated.
The 90,000km fibre project, which FG hopes to begin in the last quarter of 2025, is a $2 billion project and has thus far attracted at least $700 million in investments from developmental partners like the World Bank, Africa Development Bank (AfDB), and Islamic Development Bank.
The project, which seeks to expand the country’s fibre optic backbone from 35,000km to 125,000km and improve access to fast and reliable internet, will take between three to five years to be completed,
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, noted that Nigeria needs 125,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cable to achieve its national coverage goal, and the project aims to ensure that the country utilises its nine submarine cables more effectively by reaching this last-mile coverage.
He said the project forms part of the government’s effort to close the country’s digital exclusion gap and improve broadband penetration.
