EU commits €22m to power Nigeria’s 90,000km fibre rollout project

The European Union has approved a €22 million grant to support Nigeria’s fibre-optic expansion drive under the Federal Government’s Project BRIDGE, in a move to deepen digital connectivity across the country.

The grant, announced in Abuja on Wednesday, will be channelled through the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and granted to Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.

According to a statement by the Union, it complements an €86 million loan from the EBRD’s own resources, which is awaiting final approval in the coming weeks.

The intervention marks the EBRD’s first sovereign operation in Nigeria since the country formally became a shareholder of the bank last year, signalling growing multilateral confidence in Nigeria’s digital reform agenda.

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The funding forms part of the European Union’s broader Global Gateway strategy, through which the bloc is supporting Nigeria’s digital transformation via infrastructure investment, digital public services development, and digital skills enhancement.

Speaking at the signing ceremony during her official visit to Nigeria, Odile Renaud-Basso, EBRD President, described the initiative as a landmark step.

“We are proud to join forces with the EU to advance the deployment of digital infrastructure in Nigeria.

“This Technical Cooperation is strengthening a project designed to catalyse private sector investment and deliver inclusive, resilient and cyber secure connectivity across the country,” she said.

Bosu Tijani, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, said the agreement reinforces the Federal Government’s commitment to delivering Project BRIDGE on schedule.

“We recognise this signing as an important part of our efforts to deliver Project BRIDGE on time.

“I am particularly grateful for our ongoing cooperation with the EU and their commitment to a higher level of engagement this year.

“We look forward to ensuring that 2026 will be a year of delivery on this and other areas of cooperation with the EU,” Tijani stated.

Gautier Mignot, EU Ambassador to Nigeria, emphasised that digital infrastructure has become a strategic pillar of Nigeria–EU relations.

“Digital has emerged as one of the strategic areas of partnership between Nigeria and the EU.

“Both Nigeria and the European Union share the critical importance of trusted and resilient networks, with the highest level of integrity and reliability, operating at the highest international standards,” Mignot said.

He noted that Nigeria is fast becoming a formidable digital partner globally.

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“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.

“The SPV will have 51 per cent private sector participation, aligning with the government’s objective of crowding in private investment.

“The EBRD’s €86 million (approximately $100 million) loan agreement will include strict conditions on cybersecurity safeguards and open-access compliance to ensure that the network operates under internationally recognised standards of transparency, security and competition”, the statement read.

It also noted that the EU grant integrates both technical assistance and an investment component aimed at accelerating implementation.

“The technical assistance package will fund Low-Level Design (LLD) work for approximately 40,000 kilometres of the fibre network in the first phase. This includes route mapping, crossing surveys, digitised planning, quality assurance processes and security risk assessments.

“The objective is to deliver a ready-to-deploy blueprint that allows construction to begin immediately once the SPV is fully established and financing agreements are concluded.

In addition, the EU funding will support capacity building within Nigeria’s fibre deployment ecosystem.

“Plans include training 2,000 technicians, offering targeted equipment subsidies, and enabling small subcontractors to access pooled procurement arrangements and volume discounts”, it added.

The statement estimates that these measures could reduce rollout costs by between 20 and 30 percent, while strengthening supply-chain resilience and ensuring compliance with both EU and Nigerian quality benchmarks.

The initiative, it noted, also seeks to promote participation by European technology vendors in Nigeria’s fibre-optic supply chain.

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