AfDB backs Nigeria with $200m for broadband expansion, job creation
The African Development Bank Group has approved a $200 million loan to support the expansion of Nigeria’s digital infrastructure and drive job creation across the country.
The funding will be deployed under the Digital Value Chain Infrastructure for Boosting Employment (D-VIBE) Project, a major initiative aimed at improving connectivity and strengthening the nation’s digital economy.
According to the bank, the project will significantly expand Nigeria’s fibre network from about 30,000 kilometres to approximately 120,000 kilometres, extending broadband access to all 774 local government areas.
The expanded infrastructure is expected to connect schools, healthcare facilities, agro-industrial zones, rural communities and commercial centres to high-speed internet services, while also linking Nigeria with neighbouring countries including Benin, Cameroon, Niger and Chad.
The initiative is structured as a public-private partnership to accelerate implementation and attract investment, with the private sector expected to hold a majority stake.
The AfDB loan forms part of a broader $800 million sovereign financing package, alongside contributions from the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, with total project funding estimated at about $2 billion.
The bank said the project is projected to create up to 2.8 million jobs over its lifecycle and increase Nigeria’s broadband penetration from 45 per cent to about 70 per cent by 2030.
Director-General of the AfDB’s Nigeria Office, Abdul Kamara, said the initiative would unlock opportunities across sectors, adding, “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.”
