Nigeria Targets Massive Digital Connectivity Expansion with 90,000km Fiber Network

Nigeria is poised for a significant leap in its digital infrastructure, with plans to lay 90,000 kilometers of fiber optic cable across the nation. This ambitious project, a priority for the Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, was a central point of discussion today during a courtesy visit by Anshula Kant, Managing Director and CFO of the World Bank, to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Dr. Bosun Tijani, the Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, emphasized the critical role of digital infrastructure in Nigeria’s development.

“Mr. President and the CME, Mr. Wale Edun, they’ve been focused on mobilizing the best and sustainable resources for driving the development of infrastructure in Nigeria. But our infrastructure is not just physical, it’s also digital as well, which is why digital infrastructure is also a priority from our ministry, and we’ve enjoyed the support of Mr. President. That’s why the FEC approved that we should lay 90,000 kilometers of fiber optic cable across Nigeria. Nigerians always talk about the quality of the connectivity they get, but unfortunately, quality is tied to availability of the right infrastructure. So for us as a government, we would like to fix this once and for all. We want people to be able to have fiber-based connectivity, whether it’s at home or it’s in the office, in schools, at hospitals.”

–Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The extensive fiber network is designed with rings across all geopolitical zones and each state, ensuring comprehensive coverage and completing existing infrastructure. This will enable fiber-based connectivity to reach homes nationwide. The World Bank is a key partner, assisting in structuring the funding model. The government will invest in a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to build and operate the network, with a significant 51% of the total funding secured from the private sector.

“The private sector will help us ensure that it is managed in a sustainable manner and that we can recoup our money back because people will pay for these services. So it’s not one of those things where we take loans and we throw it into things that will not bring back the money. This is an investment in infrastructure that will keep giving because connectivity is now the bedrock of everything we do in society. Nigerians are really creative. Our creative economy is strong. Without strong connectivity, we’re not going to be able to power them to the next level. We can’t become smarter with agriculture without good connectivity, right? We need smart, precision agriculture to be the order of the day in Nigeria. Mr. President is investing a lot in agriculture, but we also have to support it through the digital side as well. Education, we cannot truly scale education or healthcare if all these facilities are not connected.”

–Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The government aims to commence digging by the end of this year, with the detailed design expected to be released to the public within the next one to two months. Dr. Tijani concluded by emphasizing the President’s vision for future-facing infrastructure that drives economic growth, citing statistics that indicate a 10% improvement in connectivity quality can lead to a 1.35% increase in GDP.

“There are not that many investments that you can make that can lead to that kind of growth. Those are the things we need to do to ensure we place our economy on a platform where it can continue to grow.”

–Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, Federal Republic of Nigeria.