A World Bank report published on 11 October sets out how the BRIDGE project (Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure for Growth) would build a nationwide open-access fibre network through a public-private partnership. A special-purpose vehicle, majority privately owned with the Federal Government holding a minority stake, would run it. The first investor round is expected to bring in at least US$156 million, and later rounds could unlock up to US$1.1 billion by 2030, against a total project cost of US$1.6 billion.

The private-investment figures are projections, and the report did not say how the coverage and beneficiary numbers overlap.

The report also sets out who is expected to benefit. Beyond the 58 million additional people covered, the project expects to reach an additional 42 million young people and 15 million women, although the article does not explain how those figures overlap with the coverage number. The US$500 million in concessional financing was approved in October 2025 and forms part of the US$1.6 billion total cost; the target of up to US$1.1 billion in private investment would account for most of the remainder.

The model is open access. The special-purpose vehicle would build, own and operate the network, and telecom operators and other service providers could use it to extend their own coverage. The article’s caveat is that success depends on whether the investment becomes affordable connectivity, especially in underserved areas, and on whether schools, clinics, households and businesses actually use it. It relies on World Bank statements and includes no independent assessment, so the projections are best read as plans.

Source: Arbiterz, 16 October 2026 (citing the World Bank report)

Link: https://arbiterz.com/world-bank-targets-1-1bn-private-investment-to-expand-broadband-access-to-58-million-nige/