Nigeria to Build 90,000km Fibre Network to Break MNO Dominance
TLDR
- Nigeria will begin construction of a 90,000-kilometre national fibre optic network in late 2025 under Project Bridge
- The plan aims to reduce mobile network operators’ control over broadband and give internet service providers (ISPs) wider access to core and middle-mile capacity
- The $2 billion rollout will be financed through a public-private partnership, with the government holding a 25–49% equity stake
Nigeria will begin construction of a 90,000-kilometre national fibre optic network in late 2025 under Project Bridge, the country’s largest digital infrastructure initiative to date. The plan aims to reduce mobile network operators’ control over broadband and give internet service providers (ISPs) wider access to core and middle-mile capacity.
Announced on Aug. 7 by Communications Minister Bosun Tijani, the project has backing from 11 state governors who will waive right-of-way fees. The build will create a 125,000km open-access backbone, linking all 774 local government headquarters through Points of Presence, with fibre extending to schools, health facilities, and community sites.
The $2 billion rollout will be financed through a public-private partnership, with the government holding a 25–49% equity stake. A $1 billion loan has been approved, and international DFIs, including the World Bank and AfDB, are expected to contribute.
While ISPs could gain cheaper wholesale capacity, analysts warn that much of the build will be long-haul links, leaving smaller players still responsible for costly metro-level last-mile networks.
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Key Takeaways
Project Bridge is designed to enhance competition and resilience in Nigeria’s fixed broadband sector, which lost 18,000 subscribers between Q3 2024 and Q1 2025 due to rising tariffs and ISP contract terminations. By offering scalable access and infrastructure sharing, the network could reduce ISP reliance on MNO-owned fibre—MTN currently controls more than double Airtel’s 16,112km. The backbone’s redundant rings and alternative routes are intended to cut downtime from fibre cuts, a persistent issue in Nigeria. However, execution risk remains high, given past underuse of state-backed networks and the World Bank’s slow disbursement history in the country. Without parallel investment in metro fibre and affordability measures, smaller ISPs may see limited immediate benefit, potentially reinforcing market dominance by larger, better-capitalised players. If implemented effectively, however, Project Bridge could form the foundation for a more competitive, resilient, and geographically inclusive broadband market.
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