World Bank Backs Nigeria’s Ambitious 90,000 km Fibre Optic Expansion

Nigeria’s digital infrastructure drive has gained momentum, with the World Bank providing substantial support for the Federal Government’s ambitious 90,000 km Fibre Fund project. Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, confirmed the development via his X handle on Wednesday, following discussions with World Bank officials in Washington, D.C.

The project aims to extend Nigeria’s current fibre network from 35,000 km to 125,000 km within the next 18 months, positioning the country as having the third-longest terrestrial fibre optic backbone in Africa, after Egypt and South Africa. “We had an excellent few days in DC with the World Bank as we received a massive boost for our 90,000 km FibreFund project. We’re ready to move!” Tijani announced, though he did not provide specific details.

Plans are underway to finalize a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to oversee the project’s execution, with funding aggregation in progress. The African Development Bank has already pledged $200 million toward the initiative, and other key partners, including the African Export-Import Bank and the US Export-Import Bank, are also participating.

The project, which was first disclosed in May 2024 following a Federal Executive Council meeting, is expected to require $2 billion. Tijani, speaking earlier in October at the United Nations General Assembly, noted, “I’ll be naïve to expect people to start praising me in the first 12 months because this is a project that will probably take 18 months to assemble the $2bn required. The actual laying of the fibre will take another two to three years.”