Nigeria plans to complete a 90,000-kilometre fibre-optic network within three years, bringing forward the timetable for a major investment in digital connectivity. The project was initially expected to take five years.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy Bosun Tijani said the $2 billion initiative would support efforts to connect 40 million people who lack internet access.
The faster timetable places delivery at the centre of the next phase. For communities awaiting better service, the key issue will be whether the new infrastructure leads to reliable and affordable connections.
A shorter deadline for Nigeria’s fibre network
Tijani outlined the revised schedule in remarks reported by Semafor. He also said a complementary programme to install 3,700 telecommunications towers should finish within two years.
The announcements cover related parts of the government’s connectivity agenda. Fibre and towers contribute to the infrastructure through which operators can extend and improve services.
However, the stated deadlines remain targets. They should not be read as evidence that every planned route has been built, every tower is operating or all intended users are already connected.
Progress will need to be assessed through completed work and the services available in the communities the programme is intended to reach.
World Bank funding supports the programme
The World Bank approved $500 million for Nigeria’s Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure for Growth project, known as BRIDGE, in October 2025.
Its announcement described a financing model intended to draw in substantial private investment. The project seeks to improve connections for households and public institutions, including schools, health facilities and local government offices.
The institution identified 38,800 public schools, 16,900 health facilities and 3,400 local government offices among the intended connections. Those figures describe programme ambitions, rather than a list of completed installations.
This public-service focus broadens the programme beyond individual internet subscriptions. Better connectivity could support institutions that serve many people through a single location.
Why public institutions matter
A school connection could give teachers access to educational resources and help administrators handle information. A health facility could use a dependable connection to support communication and digital records.
Those are potential uses, not confirmed outcomes of the rollout. Each institution would also need suitable equipment, electricity, staff skills and arrangements to pay for continuing service.
The same distinction applies to local government offices. Laying infrastructure nearby does not automatically make public services easier to access or improve how records are managed.
The practical test is whether institutions can use the connection consistently. That requires attention to the service after construction, as well as to the infrastructure itself.
Coverage alone will not close every access gap
Nigeria’s experience also reflects a wider digital challenge. Some people live within network coverage but do not use mobile internet because other barriers remain.
The GSMA describes this as a usage gap. Its research identifies affordability, digital skills, safety concerns and relevant content among the issues that influence adoption.
Consequently, a successful infrastructure rollout would address only part of the wider task. People still need devices they can afford and services they can use with confidence.
That does not reduce the importance of the network. It explains why construction figures and actual internet participation need to be tracked separately.
Tijani links connectivity with digital skills and AI
Tijani has linked meaningful connectivity to Nigeria’s ability to benefit from artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. He has also emphasised local talent and the digitisation of services.
The connection between these goals is practical. People need access before they can make regular use of online tools. They also need the skills to judge information, protect their accounts and use those tools effectively.
For small businesses, improved access could support communication with customers, digital payments and online sales. Whether it does so will depend on service quality, costs and the needs of each business.
What will show whether delivery is on track?
The revised three-year target creates a clear test for the programme. Useful measures will include the amount of operational fibre, the number of functioning towers and service availability in underserved areas.
Public reporting on the institutions connected would also help show where the investment is reaching users. Affordability and reliability would provide a fuller picture than network length alone.
Nigeria has set out a faster timetable and an ambitious coverage goal. The outcome will be judged by the connections people can use, the services institutions can sustain and the communities that gain access for the first time.
