The European Union (EU)on Thursday announced a €22 million grant to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), to be on-granted to the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.
The grant is for the deployment of fibre-optic cables in Nigeria in the framework of the government-sponsored BRIDGE project.
The European Union’s grant, according to a statement by the media office in Nigeria, is a contribution that will complement a €86 million loan from EBRD’s own resources, which is subject to final approval in the coming weeks.
"This is EBRD’s first sovereign operation high profile operation since starting operations in Nigeria, following the inauguration of the country’s membership as shareholder of the EBRD last year.
"The European Union supports Nigeria’s digital agenda through a digital package comprising interventions and support on infrastructure, digital public services and skills as part of the EU’ s Global Gateway strategy. The signing takes place on the occasion of EBRD’s President Odile Renaud-Basso’s visit to Nigeria." it added
Nigerian Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, underlined the pace of progress in this initiative:
“We recognise this signing as an important part of our efforts to deliver Project BRIDGE on time. I am particularly grateful for our ongoing cooperation with the EU, and their commitment to a higher level of engagement this year.
"We look forward to ensuring that 2026 will be a year of delivery on this and other areas of cooperation with the EU.” he stated
EBRD’s President Odile Renaud Basso expressed her delight with the operation being concluded on the occasion of her visit:
“We are proud to join forces with the EU to advance the deployment of digital infrastructure in Nigeria. This Technical Cooperation is strengthening a project designed to catalyse private sector investment and deliver inclusive, resilient and cyber secure connectivity across the country.”
EU Ambassador Gautier Mignot stated: “Digital has emerged as one of the strategic areas of partnership between Nigeria and the EU. Both Nigeria and the European Union share the critical importance of trusted and resilient networks, with the highest level of integrity and reliability, operating at the highest international standards.
"This is critical area for citizens and businesses alike where Nigeria is already fast becoming a world reference and a formidable country to partner with.”
The EU’s €22 million grant aims to complement the sovereign loans to be provided by the EBRD, as well as the World Bank (WB) and the African Development Bank (AfDB), to the Government of Nigeria for the establishment and capitalisation of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for the roll-out of 90,000km of fibre-optic networks under Project Bridge.
The EBRD is expected to contribute with a €86 million (US$100 million equivalent) loan, with the financing agreement to include conditions on cybersecurity and open-access compliance.
The grant signed on Thursday combines the mobilisation of Technical Assistance and an Investment Grant to accelerate project preparation and improve implementation capacity.
The Technical Assistance will finance the Low-Level Design (LLD) for the first approximately 40,000 km of the network, including route and crossing surveys, digitised planning, quality assurance, and security risk assessments, including standards to ensure secure connectivity in line with EU core digital principles.
This will give the SPV a ready-to-deploy blueprint and enable construction to start immediately once financing is in place and the SPV is established with 51% private sector participation.
The European Union’s grant funding shall accelerate Nigeria’s deployment and supply-chain capacity by training 2,000 technicians, providing targeted subsidies for equipment, and supporting small subcontractors to access pooled procurement and volume discounts.
This will lower rollout costs by an estimated 20–30 per cent, ensure adherence to EU and Nigerian quality standards, and promote the involvement of the EU’s private sector, including EU Tech Vendors in the fibre-optic supply chain.