FG Targets Internet Access for 55,675 Schools, Hospitals with $500m World Bank Loan
The Federal Government has unveiled plans to connect 55,675 public schools and health facilities across the country to broadband internet under a $500m World Bank-supported initiative.
Findings from the World Bank’s Implementation Status and Results Report on the Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure for Growth project, also known as BRIDGE, show that 38,803 public schools and 16,872 health facilities are expected to be linked to broadband services by September 2030.
The project, approved by the World Bank Board in October 2025, is aimed at expanding access to high-quality and climate-resilient broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas of Nigeria.
The report indicates that beyond schools and hospitals, total broadband-connected facilities are projected to increase to 59,103 by the end of the programme, up from 33,628 recorded in September 2025.The figure includes 3,428 local government administrative offices, compared to a baseline of 510.
it was gathered that the project will be implemented through a Special Purpose Vehicle to be established to deploy 90,000 kilometres of fibre-optic infrastructure nationwide, with 90 per cent of the network designed to be climate-resilient.
Although no private capital had been mobilised as of December 2025, the structure is expected to attract up to $1.1bn in private investment by 2030.
According to the World Bank document, key procurements, including transaction advisory services for setting up the SPV, have commenced, with implementation activities expected to begin in early 2026 following the use of a Project Preparation Advance.
The report projects that broadband users in Nigeria will rise from 92.01 million in April 2025 to 150 million by the project’s completion date. Female users are expected to increase from 30.36 million to 45 million, while youth users are projected to grow from 57.96 million to 100 million within the same period.
Infrastructure targets include a 20 per cent reduction in wholesale broadband prices and an increase in median fixed broadband download speeds from 22.15 megabits per second to 50 megabits per second.
Under the financing arrangement, $460m of the $500m concessional credit from the International Development Association will be used to capitalise a new fibre infrastructure company responsible for rolling out the network. The remaining $40m will fund consultancy services, operational costs, training, equipment and reimbursement of preparatory expenses.
The proposed company will operate as an independent, majority privately owned joint venture providing wholesale, open-access services to licensed telecommunications operators. The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Finance Incorporated, will hold no more than 49 per cent equity in the company.
The World Bank rated progress towards achieving the project’s development objective as satisfactory, though it noted substantial risks relating to political, environmental and institutional capacity challenges.
As of January 2026, the $500m facility had yet to be disbursed, pending effectiveness of the loan.
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