By NIyi Jacobs
APC chairman seeks end to right-of-way barriers, fibre vandalism; says $1.2bn private investment needed to complete project
The Federal Government has secured about $800 million in sovereign financing for its ambitious plan to deploy 90,000 kilometres of open-access fibre-optic network across Nigeria’s 36 states by 2028, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has disclosed.
Yilwatda said the initiative, known as Project BRIDGE, would expand Nigeria’s combined fibre backbone from approximately 35,000 kilometres to 125,000 kilometres, significantly strengthening broadband connectivity and extending digital access to more than 200,000 schools, healthcare facilities and other public institutions nationwide.
The APC national chairman disclosed this on Wednesday during a virtual executive session with chief executive officers in the information technology industry, where he highlighted the importance of digital infrastructure to Nigeria’s economic transformation and technological advancement.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his Special Adviser on Media and Information Strategy, Abimbola Tooki, Yilwatda described Project BRIDGE as one of the country’s most significant digital infrastructure interventions, stressing that affordable and reliable connectivity was essential to achieving digital inclusion and advancing artificial intelligence, cloud computing and other emerging technologies.
According to him, the Federal Government incorporated Bridge Open Access as an independent company in August to deliver the project under a public-private partnership structure.
Under the arrangement, the government, through the Ministry of Finance Incorporated, is expected to hold between 25 and 49 per cent equity, while private investors will own between 51 and 75 per cent and retain operational control.
He explained that the structure was designed to combine government support and risk mitigation with private-sector investment, operational efficiency and commercial discipline.
$800m Secured, $1.2bn Private Capital Needed
Providing details of the project’s financing, Yilwatda said about $800 million had been secured from multilateral development institutions, comprising $500 million from the World Bank, $100 million from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and $200 million from the African Development Bank.
He added that the initiative had also received a €22 million grant from the European Union.
Physical deployment of the fibre network is scheduled to commence in October 2026, with the implementation period reduced from five years to three years and completion targeted for 2028.
However, Yilwatda warned that additional private-sector investment would be critical to delivering the project, noting that approximately $1.2 billion was still required in private capital to meet its financing needs.
“Announcements do not lay cable,” he said, emphasising the need to translate policy commitments into tangible infrastructure and measurable results.
He also cautioned that expanding the fibre network alone would not automatically guarantee digital inclusion without complementary investments in electricity, affordable devices, data services, telecommunications towers, backhaul infrastructure and last-mile connectivity.
APC Moves to Tackle Right-of-Way Barriers
The APC chairman identified high right-of-way charges, inconsistent regulatory requirements and the destruction of installed telecommunications infrastructure as major obstacles to broadband expansion in the country.
He observed that telecommunications operators continued to face varying charges, multiple permit requirements and instances of fibre-optic cables being damaged by state and local government authorities.
According to him, the concentration of fibre infrastructure in major urban centres remains a significant challenge, with Lagos and the Federal Capital Territory accounting for more than 18 per cent of deployed fibre, while fibre-to-the-home penetration remains relatively low at approximately 265,000 subscribers nationwide.
To address these challenges, Yilwatda announced that the APC National Secretariat would collaborate with the Progressive Governors’ Forum and the party’s state chapters to promote harmonised and cost-reflective right-of-way charges and strengthen the protection of telecommunications infrastructure in APC-governed states.
He also extended the initiative to governors elected on the platforms of other political parties, arguing that digital infrastructure development should be treated as a national priority rather than a partisan issue.
“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 further advocated the designation and protection of fibre-optic networks as Critical National Information Infrastructure, warning that vandalism and accidental damage could undermine significant public and private investments in the telecommunications sector.
Road Projects Must Protect Fibre Infrastructure
The APC chairman also called for stronger coordination between road construction and telecommunications infrastructure development, identifying excavation, civil works and road projects as major causes of fibre-optic cable damage.
He described the recurring destruction of telecommunications infrastructure during road construction as a coordination failure that could be prevented through better planning and collaboration.
While commending the Federal Ministries of Works and Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy for inaugurating a Standing Committee on the Protection of Fibre Optic Cables, he urged the government to extend the initiative to state and local government levels.
He proposed that all federal and state road contracts should include provisions for telecommunications ducts and require contractors to identify and protect existing fibre networks before excavation begins.
“Building a road and destroying a broadband link in the same month is not development. It is waste,” he said.
He added that the APC would deploy its political structures to encourage cooperation among state governments, local authorities, road contractors and telecommunications operators to minimise infrastructure damage and reduce the cost of broadband deployment.
Nigeria Must Shape AI Revolution, Yilwatda Says
On artificial intelligence, cloud computing and data centres, Yilwatda said the coming decade would be significantly shaped by the rapid development and application of AI, urging Nigeria to position itself as an active participant in the global technological transformation.
He warned that the country risked becoming merely a consumer of technologies developed elsewhere unless it invested strategically in the infrastructure and expertise required to support a competitive digital economy.
“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.
Yilwatda noted that Nigeria already had a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, while the Federal Government had unveiled a National Digital Cloud Policy intended to attract approximately $750 million in private investment into cloud and data infrastructure within 24 months.
Under the policy’s stated targets, $250 million is expected within the first year.
He also disclosed that government and industry stakeholders were working towards increasing Nigeria’s data-centre capacity from approximately 50 megawatts to 200 megawatts of IT load over the next five years.
While describing the targets as ambitious and necessary, he stressed that their successful implementation would depend on reliable electricity supply and sustained investment in energy infrastructure.
“An AI strategy without an energy strategy is incomplete,” he said, advocating the integration of digital infrastructure priorities into the country’s power-sector planning.
He also called for greater adoption of embedded power generation, renewable energy purchase arrangements and reliable gas supply to support digital infrastructure clusters.
Yilwatda Backs Local Tech Firms, Warns Against Protectionism
On data sovereignty and local participation in the digital economy, the APC chairman expressed support for the Federal Government’s policy direction favouring certified local technology providers in public procurement where appropriate.
He said strengthening domestic technological capacity and ensuring the adequate protection of critical national data were legitimate objectives that should inform Nigeria’s digital development strategy.
However, he cautioned against policies that could turn digital sovereignty into protectionism, warning that excessive restrictions could increase costs, discourage investment and limit access to global expertise and technology.
He stressed the need for a balanced approach that strengthens local technology companies while maintaining an environment conducive to innovation, international partnerships and private-sector investment.
Yilwatda maintained that effective collaboration between government and industry would be essential to overcoming infrastructure bottlenecks, accelerating broadband deployment and ensuring that Nigerians across urban and rural communities benefit from the expanding digital economy.
The successful delivery of Project BRIDGE, alongside reforms in energy, regulation and infrastructure protection, is expected to play a significant role in determining how quickly Nigeria can expand digital access and position itself for opportunities in artificial intelligence, cloud computing and other technology-driven industries.
