In a move to enhance digital connectivity nationwide, Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, has reiterated a comprehensive strategy to lay 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable throughout Nigeria.
This initiative, part of a broader effort to bolster both physical and digital infrastructure, aims to revolutionise connectivity in homes, offices, schools, and hospitals nationwide.
Speaking to the press, Minister Tijani emphasised the critical role of digital infrastructure in national development.
“As you know, Mr President and the CME (Minister Wale Edun – Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy of Nigeria) have been focused on mobilising the best sustainable resources for driving the development of infrastructure in Nigeria. But our infrastructure is not just physical, it’s also digital as well,” he stated.
The minister highlighted the government’s commitment to addressing the quality and availability of connectivity, noting, “Nigerians always talk about the quality and connectivity they get, but unfortunately, quality is tied to availability for the right infrastructure.”
The project, supported by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Finance Minister Wale Edun, is designed to ensure comprehensive coverage across all geopolitical zones and states.
“We’ve designed it in such a way that we have rings across all the geopolitical zones and each state as well,” Tijani explained. This approach aims to guarantee that “every state is properly covered,” facilitating fibre-based connectivity that can reach homes and essential public institutions.
A key component of the plan involves collaboration with international and private sector partners. The World Bank is assisting in structuring the investment, and the government is leveraging a special purpose vehicle to manage the project.
“The World Bank is helping us structure, and the government is putting money into a special purpose vehicle that will build and operate the fibre network,” Tijani said. Also, 51% of the funding will come from the private sector, ensuring sustainable management.
“The private sector will help us ensure that it’s managed in a sustainable manner and we can recoup our money back,” he added. “It is not one of those things where we take loans and throw it into things that will not bring back the money.”
The minister underscored the economic imperative of this investment, citing its potential to drive growth. “There are statistics that say if you manage to improve the quality of connectivity by 10%, you’ll need 1.35% growth in GDP,” Tijani noted, highlighting the transformative impact on Nigeria’s economy.
He further elaborated on the broader societal benefits, stating, “Connectivity is now the bedrock of everything we do in society. Nigerians are really creative. Our creativity economy is strong. Without a strong connectivity, we’re not going to be able to power them to the next level.”
The initiative also aligns with national priorities in agriculture, education, and healthcare. “We can’t become smarter with agriculture without good connectivity. Right? We need smart precision agriculture to be the order of the day in Nigeria,” Tijani said, emphasising the need for digital support in these sectors.
He expressed optimism about the timeline, hoping that by the end of the year, the project would be poised to begin implementation. “We’re hoping by the end of the year, we’re in a position where we can actually start to dig. We have done the design and that design will be released in the next one or two months,” he disclosed.
This ambitious project reflects President Bola Tinubu’s vision for future-facing infrastructure. “The president wants to invest in infrastructure that will allow our economy to be able to grow,” Tijani affirmed, underscoring the bold decisions being made to reform and strengthen Nigeria’s economic landscape.
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