Nigeria to Connect Over 55,000 Schools and Health Facilities to Broadband Under World Bank–Backed Project

Simisola Adigun3 hours ago

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In its move to boost nationwide connectivity, the Federal Government plans to link 55,675 public schools and health facilities to broadband internet under a $500 million programme supported by the World Bank. The initiative, called the Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure for Growth (BRIDGE) project, aims to provide high-quality, climate-resilient digital infrastructure to underserved areas.

The World Bank’s report shows the project will connect 38,803 schools and 16,872 health facilities by September 2030. Including local government offices, the total number of connected facilities is expected to reach 59,103, up from 33,628 in September 2025.

Approved on October 6, 2025, BRIDGE combines public funding with private investment. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) will deploy 90,000 kilometres of fibre-optic networks nationwide, with 90 per cent of the infrastructure designed to be climate-resilient.

While private investment had not yet been mobilised as of December 2025, the SPV is expected to attract up to $1.1 billion by 2030. Implementation is set to begin in early 2026 following the Project Preparation Advance.

The project is projected to expand broadband use from 92 million Nigerians in April 2025 to 150 million by completion. Female users are expected to rise from 30.36 million to 45 million, while youth users will grow from 57.96 million to 100 million.

BRIDGE also includes capacity-building, with 37,000 Nigerians receiving digital literacy training, 60 per cent of whom will be women. The data collected will help shape the government’s broadband policies.

Financially, $460 million of the World Bank credit will capitalise the fibre infrastructure company, while $40 million will cover consulting, training, and operational costs. The Federal Government will hold a minority 49 per cent stake in the SPV, ensuring majority private ownership.

The project is expected to lower wholesale broadband prices by 20 per cent and raise median fixed broadband download speeds from 22.15 Mbps to 50 Mbps. The World Bank rated progress as satisfactory, despite political and institutional risks.