Stories by Emma Okonji
Industry stakeholders have advised the federal government to accelerate the delivery of Project BRIDGE to Nigerians, as a strategic response to the middle-mile connectivity gap.
Project BRIDGE is an initiative of the federal government to roll out 90,000 km national fibre optic cable backbone across the country in order to give all Nigerians uninterrupted access to internet connectivity.
The federal government was also advised to advance complementary measures to improve the availability and reliability of power for digital infrastructure; sustain policy consistency; and support financing structures that reduce the cost of capital for the telecoms sector.
The telecoms industry regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), was also advised to sustain the reforms that were already improving investment conditions, including the tariff realignment, the designation of critical national information infrastructure and Right of Way (RoW) engagement with states; publish the first national Nigeria Digital Connectivity Index report; advance open-access and wholesale regulation; and finalise the direct-to-device framework.
The stakeholders gave the advice in a communique issued at the end of the Nigeria Digital Connectivity Investment Forum 2026, organised in Abuja by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in partnership with Swedfund and Ookla, under the theme: ‘Unlocking Infrastructure Investment through Data, Transparency and Partnerships’.
The investment forum was attended by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, representative of the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani; the Ambassador of Sweden to Nigeria; heads of federal agencies; development finance institutions, investment banks and institutional investors; mobile network operators, tower and fibre infrastructure companies, satellite and fixed wireless providers; original equipment manufacturers (OEMs); and industry associations.