The Nigerian government plans to recover its ₦3.068 trillion ($2 billion) investment in a planned 90,000-kilometre national fibre optic cable project by commercialising the infrastructure under a public-private partnership, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, says.
“We are also then getting 51 percent of the total funding from the private sector as well,” Tijani says. “and the entity is then going to be managed as an independent entity, not a government-led entity. 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.”
Minister: Nigeria’s fibre optic coverage to grow from 35,000km to 125,000km
Speaking on the government’s digital infrastructure drive, Tijani says the initiative is designed to expand high-speed fibre-based connectivity to homes, offices, schools, hospitals and other institutions across Nigeria.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the nationwide fibre rollout as part of a broader strategy by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to prioritise digital infrastructure alongside physical infrastructure.
The project, first announced in October 2024, aims to expand Nigeria’s fibre coverage from an estimated 35,000km to over 125,000km.
Tijani says the 90,000km fibre project has been structured into interconnected regional rings across all six geopolitical zones and individual states, building on existing infrastructure. “We are completing the ring and ensuring every state is properly covered,” he says.
“We are also then getting 51 percent of the total funding from the private sector as well,” Tijani says. “and the entity is then going to be managed as an independent entity, not a government-led entity. 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,” he explains. “This is an investment in infrastructure that will keep giving because connectivity is now the bedrock of everything we do in society.”
“This is not one of those things where we take loans and throw it into things that will not bring back the money,” Tijani says. “This is an investment in infrastructure that will keep giving, because connectivity is now the bedrock of everything we do in society.”
He explains that the fibre rollout is structured through a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) supported by the World Bank, which is assisting the federal government in designing a commercially viable operating model.
“This is not one of those things where we take loans and throw it into things that will not bring back the money,” Tijani says. “This is an investment in infrastructure that will keep giving, because connectivity is now the bedrock of everything we do in society.”
The Minister says final network designs have been completed and will be released publicly within two months “so that people can see where this fibre will actually pass through and how they can benefit.” Construction is expected to begin by the fourth quarter of 2025, according to a revised project timeline.
Tijani says the network will support a broad range of digital services and unlock productivity across sectors, including education, agriculture, healthcare, and the creative economy.
“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,” he says. “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.”
The 90,000km fibre optic project was unveiled in 2024 at the time, the government committed to leveraging public funding to catalyse private investment, with backing from international financiers including the World Bank, African Development Bank, and Islamic Development Bank.
In a statement within the period, the Ministry projected that the project would double national fibre capacity and reduce internet access costs by up to 60%. Tijani later confirmed that a new SPV had been approved by the FEC to manage construction and financing of the open-access network.
Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan 2020–2025 targets 70 percent broadband penetration and at least 120,000km of fibre nationwide. As of May 2025, broadband penetration stood at 48.81 percent, according to data from Nigeria’s telecoms regulator, the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC).
Tijani says boosting digital infrastructure will also drive GDP growth, citing research that shows a 10 percent increase in broadband quality can lead to a 1.35 percent rise in economic output.
“There are not that many investments that you can make that can lead to that kind of growth,” he says. “Those are the things we need to do to ensure we place our economy on a platform where it can continue to grow.”
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