The Federal Government has picked a consortium led by Bluechip Technologies Limited for a N451.9 contract to provide supply chain and procurement strategy advisory services for Project BRIDGE, the ₦2.71 trillion fibre backbone to be rolled out across the country.
The contract awarded by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) in an official notice dated February 17, 2026, seen by Technology Times, marks a critical preparatory milestone in the implementation of Project BRIDGE, the ambitious public-private partnership (PPP) initiative designed to deploy at least 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable as Nigeria’s core digital infrastructure backbone.
The Federal Government’s deal has advanced implementation of its nationwide fibre backbone initiative under Project BRIDGE with the award of a ₦451,880,550 supply chain advisory contract to a consortium led by Bluechip Technologies Limited, as the broader programme scales toward an estimated ₦2.71 trillion nationwide infrastructure rollout.
The Federal Government’s deal has advanced implementation of its nationwide fibre backbone initiative under Project BRIDGE with the award of a ₦451,880,550 supply chain advisory contract to a consortium led by Bluechip Technologies Limited, as the broader programme scales toward an estimated ₦2.71 trillion nationwide infrastructure rollout.
The Ministry confirmed the engagement of the Joint Venture (JV) between Bluechip Technologies Limited (Lead Partner) and Bluechip Communications Limited (Member Partner) to provide strategic supply chain and procurement advisory services for the national fibre deployment.
Technology Times understands that the ₦451.9 million contract, running for 365 days, will form a foundational component of Project BRIDGE (Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure for Growth), the federal government’s public-private partnership (PPP) initiative designed to deploy at least 90,000 kilometre of fibre optic cable as Nigeria’s core connectivity backbone.
With the full rollout estimated at approximately ₦2.71 trillion, Project BRIDGE represents one of the largest digital infrastructure undertakings in Nigeria’s history.
Project BRIDGE: The FAQs
Source: Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE)
Project BRIDGE: Advisory contract award details
According to the official notice, the contract, titled Engagement of a Supply Chain and Procurement Strategy Development Advisor (Reference: NG-FMCIDE-504390-CS-CQS), was procured using the Consultant Qualification Selection (CQS) method. Proposal opening took place on December 1, 2025, with one firm submitting technical and financial proposals.
The successful consortium comprises:
- Bluechip Technologies Limited (Nigeria, Lead Partner)
- Bluechip Communications Limited (Nigeria, Member Partner)
- The winning consortium’s advisory assignment does not cover physical fibre deployment. Instead, it focuses on developing a comprehensive, implementation-ready supply chain and procurement strategy to support execution of the 90,000km fibre backbone.
Scope of advisory services
FMCIDE outlined a two-phase scope:
Phase 1: Strategic supply chain framework
The consortium will:
- Develop a recommended supply chain strategy aligned with technical rollout design;
- Assess project scale, urgency, and Nigeria’s geographic diversity;
- Define logistics architecture, warehousing models, and supplier categories;
- Deliver a cost-effective procurement plan that blends global best practice with local market realities.
Accordingly, the consortium will “deliver a recommended supply chain strategy aligned to technical deployment that assesses scale, urgency and geographic diversity and specifies required logistics, warehousing and supplier categories, plus a cost effective procurement plan that blends global best practice with local market realities.”
Phase 2: Implementation-Ready Design
The advisory will:
- Identify operational and financial risks with mitigation measures;
- Recommend cost-optimisation strategies, including bulk purchasing and lean inventory systems;
- Assess workforce availability and subcontracting frameworks;
- Provide quality and safety compliance structures.
Under the contract terms, the adviser will not execute procurement, contracting, or logistics functions on behalf of FMCIDE or the forthcoming Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV).
It will, the contract says, “Produce an implementation ready supply chain design that identifies risks and mitigation measures, recommends cost optimization measures such as bulk purchasing and lean inventory, and assesses workforce availability and subcontracting models to ensure quality and safety. The adviser will not execute procurement, contracting, or logistics on behalf of the Client.”
Industry analysts describe this stage as critical risk mitigation before large-scale capital deployment under the ₦2.71 trillion programme.
According to the Ministry, “it is estimated that the total cost of implementation is $2 Billion which will be funded through a combination of debt, in the form of sovereign loans from DFIs (including the World Bank, AfDB and others) and equity, from private sector companies. The Nigerian government will be a minority partner with shareholding not less than 25% but capped at 49%. The SPV will be managed independently as a limited liability company, with a competent Board of Directors and management with reputable careers in telecommunications and relevant industries.”
Beneficial ownership disclosure
In compliance with procurement transparency requirements, beneficial ownership forms were published alongside the contract notice.
For both Bluechip Technologies Limited and Bluechip Communications Limited, CAPFACTORS Investments Limited, Lagos, Nigeria, was disclosed as a beneficial owner directly or indirectly holding 25% or more of shares and voting rights, and possessing rights to appoint a majority of the board.
The disclosures were formally signed on February 5, 2026, by Christian Okafor (Head, Sales) for Bluechip Technologies Limited and Bolaji Olojede (Strategic Supply Chain Expert) for Bluechip Communications Limited, following a January 26 notification of award.
Transparency mechanisms are considered particularly important given the scale of capital involved in Project BRIDGE.
The ₦2.71 trillion fibre backbone vision
Project BRIDGE aims to deploy at least 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable nationwide to complete Nigeria’s 120,000km target under the National Broadband Plan 2020–2025.
The estimated implementation cost of approximately ₦2.71 trillion will be financed through a blended model comprising:
- Sovereign-backed debt from Development Finance Institutions (DFIs);
- Private sector equity investment;
- Minority federal government shareholding (between 25% and 49%).
- The SPV established for the project will operate as an independently managed limited liability company governed by a professional board.
Project BRIDGE: Funding commitments in Naira terms
Government disclosures indicate that approximately ₦1.14 trillion in funding commitments have already been secured from leading Development Finance Institutions, reflecting strong international confidence in the programme.
Key commitments converted to Naira include:
- World Bank Group – approximately ₦676.3 billion
- African Development Bank (AfDB) – approximately ₦270.5 billion
- Additional commitments from AFC and EU bringing total secured funding to about ₦1.14 trillion
- Negotiations continue with multiple DFIs including AFC, AFD, DFC, IFC, EIB, IsDB, BII and EBRD.
The secured ₦1.14 trillion represents a significant proportion of the overall ₦2.71 trillion funding requirement.
Economic impact projections
Government projections suggest that successful implementation of Project BRIDGE could:
- Increase broadband penetration to over 70%;
- Deliver internet access to millions of households and businesses;
- Generate up to 20,000 direct jobs and over 150,000 indirect jobs;
- Contribute up to 1.5% GDP growth per capita.
Nigeria’s GDP, currently estimated at approximately ₦639.9 trillion (converted from prior dollar benchmarks), could rise by the Naira equivalent of roughly ₦40 trillion over four years if digital infrastructure expansion delivers projected productivity gains.
Addressing the connectivity deficit
Official data indicates:
- Approximately 33 million Nigerians remain offline;
- About 216,871 schools, healthcare centres, and social institutions lack sustainable internet connectivity.
Project BRIDGE aims to bridge these gaps by ensuring fibre backbone availability to support:
- Connected primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions;
- Digitally enabled healthcare facilities with real-time data systems;
- Expansion of fintech, e-commerce, cloud services, and AI infrastructure.
Strategic rationale for supply chain advisory
Experts note that deploying 90,000km of fibre across Nigeria’s terrain presents major logistical challenges, including:
- Right-of-way harmonisation across states;
- Importation versus local manufacturing decisions;
- Warehousing and last-mile distribution;
- FX exposure management;
- Skilled workforce deployment;
- Environmental and social compliance.
A structured procurement framework at the outset reduces risk of cost overruns, timeline slippages, and fragmented contractor ecosystems.
Given the scale, ₦2.71 trillion, the cost of planning inefficiency could run into tens of billions of Naira if not properly managed.
Industrial and local manufacturing implications
Project BRIDGE also seeks to catalyse local fibre manufacturing capacity.
International fibre cable manufacturers are reportedly engaging Nigerian companies to develop local production competencies, positioning Nigeria as a potential exporter of fibre cables and accessories within West Africa.
If achieved, this could:
- Reduce foreign exchange exposure;
- Create manufacturing jobs;
- Strengthen supply chain resilience;
- Increase non-oil export revenues.
Governance architecture
Federal Executive Council approval has been secured to establish the SPV as a PPP entity.
Key features include:
- Independent governance structure;
- Professional board composition;
- Commercial operational discipline;
- Minority federal government ownership.
- A National Broadband Alliance for Nigeria (NBAN) has also been established to coordinate stakeholders across government, private sector, and civil society.
Thirty companies have formally registered interest in investing in the project, according to the Ministry.
According to the Ministry, “it is estimated that the total cost of implementation is $2 Billion which will be funded through a combination of debt, in the form of sovereign loans from DFIs (including the World Bank, AfDB and others) and equity, from private sector companies. The Nigerian government will be a minority partner with shareholding not less than 25% but capped at 49%. The SPV will be managed independently as a limited liability company, with a competent Board of Directors and management with reputable careers in telecommunications and relevant industries.”
Project BRIDGE: From concept to structured execution
The ₦451.9 million advisory contract signals a transition from conceptual planning to structured implementation architecture.
While relatively small compared to the ₦2.71 trillion programme envelope, the advisory engagement establishes the procurement and logistics backbone necessary for national-scale fibre deployment.
Industry observers caution that the success of Project BRIDGE will hinge on:
- Timely financial close of remaining funding;
- Right-of-way harmonisation;
- Transparent contractor selection;
- Local capacity mobilisation;
- Effective SPV governance.
“It is estimated that about two hundred and sixteen thousand, eight hundred and seventy-one (216,871) tertiary institutions, secondary and primary schools, healthcare centers, and social institutions are unable to access the internet sustainably or use its immense resources for development,” the Ministry backing the project says.
“With government-backed policies promoting digital inclusion,” it adds, “a booming startup ecosystem, increasing smartphone adoption, the demand for digital infrastructure is at an all time high.”
If executed efficiently, industry analysts say Project BRIDGE could redefine Nigeria’s digital infrastructure landscape, support inclusive connectivity, and strengthen national competitiveness in the global digital economy.
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