The African Development Bank Group has approved a $200 million loan to Nigeria to advance the Digital Value Chain Infrastructure for Boosting Employment (D-VIBE) Project, also known as Project BRIDGE.
The initiative, structured as a public-private partnership, aims to deploy 90,000 kilometres of open-access fibre nationwide, expand digital skills, and drive job creation.
“Nigeria has the talent, the market, and the ambition; what it has lacked is the backbone infrastructure to connect that potential to opportunity. D-VIBE changes that,” said Abdul Kamara, Director General of the AfDB Nigeria Office.
Nigeria currently has about 30,000 km of fibre backbone. D-VIBE will extend this to 120,000 km, connecting all 774 Local Government Areas, including schools, health facilities, agro-industrial zones, rural communities, and commercial hubs.
The project will also establish cross-border links with Benin, Cameroon, Niger, and Chad, strengthening regional integration.
“From the north to the south, from farms to factories to classrooms, this investment will make high-speed connectivity a reality for every Nigerian community,” Kamara added.
Financing Structure And Wider Impact
The AfDB loan is part of an $800 million sovereign financing package, alongside $500 million from the World Bank and $100 million from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Total financing is estimated at $2 billion, including an EU grant of €22 million, a $2.6 million MCDF preparation grant, and at least $1.2 billion in private sector investment.
D-VIBE is expected to raise broadband penetration from 45% to 70% by 2030 and support up to 2.8 million jobs.
Beyond infrastructure, the project will promote affordable devices, digital skills development, and policies on cybersecurity and market competition.
Renewable and hybrid power solutions will be integrated to ensure resilience.
The project is part of Nigeria’s Vision 2050, the National Development Plan, and the Renewed Hope Development Plan (2026–2030), which also supports the African Union’s Agenda 2063.
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