EU Commits €22m To Support Nigeria’s 90,000km Fibre Optic Network Rollout
Adedokun Waliyu
2 min read
The European Union (EU) has committed €22 million in grant funding to support Nigeria’s nationwide fibre-optic expansion under the federal government’s Project BRIDGE initiative.
The grant, announced in a statement in Abuja, will be channelled through the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) before being on-granted to the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy. The EU said the grant complements an €86 million loan from the EBRD’s own resources, which is awaiting final approval in the coming weeks.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso, who is on an official visit to Nigeria, said the bank was pleased to partner with the EU to expand digital infrastructure in Africa’s largest economy. She noted that the financing package includes technical cooperation aimed at attracting private capital while ensuring secure, inclusive, and sustainable connectivity across the country.
Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, described the agreement as a major milestone in delivering Project BRIDGE on schedule. He said Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda depends on the availability of robust, resilient, and inclusive broadband infrastructure, adding that the partnership reflects growing international confidence in Nigeria’s digital roadmap.
Also speaking, the EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, said high-integrity digital infrastructure built to international standards is strategically important for both Nigeria and the EU. He added that digital development has emerged as a key strategic area of partnership, with both parties sharing the importance of trusted and resilient networks operating at the highest international standards.
According to the statement, the €22 million EU grant is structured to complement sovereign loans expected not only from the EBRD but also from the World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB). The combined financing will support the establishment and capitalisation of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) responsible for rolling out 90,000 kilometres of fibre-optic networks nationwide under Project BRIDGE, with 51 percent private sector participation to crowd in private investment.
The EBRD’s €86 million loan will include strict conditions on cybersecurity safeguards and open-access compliance to ensure the network operates under internationally recognised standards of transparency, security, and competition. The EU said the grant also integrates technical assistance and an investment component to accelerate implementation, including funding Low-Level Design work for about 40,000 kilometres of the fibre network in the first phase.
This phase will cover route mapping, crossing surveys, digitised planning, quality assurance processes, and security risk assessments to deliver a ready-to-deploy blueprint that allows construction to begin once the SPV is fully established and financing agreements are concluded.
The funding will also support capacity building within Nigeria’s fibre deployment ecosystem, including training 2,000 technicians, offering targeted equipment subsidies, and enabling small subcontractors to access pooled procurement arrangements and volume discounts. These measures are expected to reduce rollout costs by between 20 and 30 percent, while strengthening supply-chain resilience and ensuring compliance with both EU and Nigerian quality benchmarks.
