Nigeria is about to get big support for internet project as African Development Bank Group on Apr. 10, approve $200 million loan to the country.
The project they call D-VIBE or Project BRIDGE is mainly to improve internet, create jobs and help people learn digital things. Nigeria is big country with many people and big market, so this kind project will really help business and economy.
They want to increase fibre network from around 30,000 km to about 120,000 km, so all the 774 local government areas can have better internet, including schools, hospitals, villages, farms and business places. It will also connect Nigeria to other countries like Benin, Cameroon, Niger and Chad.
The whole project money is about $2 billion. African Development Bank bring $200 million, World Bank bring $500 million and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development bring $100 million. There is also money from EU and other partners, plus private investors that will bring more than $1 billion.
The way they want to run the project is through partnership between government and private companies using SPV, where private side will have bigger share and government smaller one, and this is to help solve problems like high cost and right of way issues.
One official, Abdul Kamara, talk say Nigeria already get talent and market but problem na infrastructure, and this project will help fix am by bringing fast internet everywhere and give young people chance to grow with digital work.
The project no be only about building internet, they also want make devices cheaper, train people and support digital platforms in important sectors.
They will also look into cybersecurity, market competition and use of renewable energy to make everything strong.
They believe say this project can create up to 2.8 million jobs and increase internet access from 45% to around 70% by year 2030.
The project also follow Nigeria long term plans and Africa development plans.
