WASHINGTON, October 07, 2025 - The World Bank has approved two projects to support Nigeria’s efforts in expanding digital infrastructure and strengthening health security systems. The approved financing includes $500 million for the Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure for Growth (BRIDGE) Project, and $250 million for the Health Security Program in Western and Central Africa, Nigeria – Phase II (HeSP Nigeria).
The BRIDGE Project will support to close Nigeria’s digital divide by expanding affordable, high-speed broadband to communities that remain unserved or underserved. With a total project cost of $1.6 billion of which The World Bank is providing concessional financing of $500 million, the project will roll out a nationwide fiber network managed through a Special Purpose Vehicle that is majority privately owned and operated, with the Federal Government retaining a minority stake. This innovative model is designed to attract large-scale private investment while connecting millions of households, 38,800 public schools, 16,900 health facilities, and 3,400 LGA offices. By establishing a modern backbone of national and regional fiber networks, BRIDGE will deploy over 90,000 kilometers of fiber optic cable, extending the national backbone from 35,000 to 125,000 kilometers which will bring reliable connectivity to all corners of the country and enable Nigeria to fully harness the opportunities of the digital economy.
HeSP Nigeria, aims to enhance the country’s capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to public health emergencies, at Federal and State levels, under a One Health approach. The Project amounts to $250 million of concessional financing and comes as the second phase of a multi-phase regional Program, approved by the World Bank in 2023, which includes Cabo Verde, Guinea, Liberia, and ECOWAS/WAHO.
Coordinated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), HeSP Nigeria will improve early warning systems, develop emergency-ready primary healthcare infrastructure, and improve laboratory quality and capacity. It will also improve cross-border health surveillance and data sharing, ensuring timely and coordinated responses to outbreaks. The program is designed to protect vulnerable populations—including children, mothers, and the elderly—from epidemic-prone diseases, while supporting ECOWAS in developing standardized regulations for biological materials, handling and emergency coordination. HeSP Nigeria promotes a One Health approach, integrating human, animal, and environmental health to health protection. In line with the country’s priorities, HeSP Nigeria will also support the Government’s efforts in strengthening the local manufacturing and pharmaceutical regulatory ecosystem and create the foundations for Nigeria to be able to unlock the value chain through local manufacturing of health commodities.
“The BRIDGE project puts to action the bold and ambitious vision to unlock the potential of the digital economy in Nigeria working alongside the private sector. Access to fast and reliable internet will help to create more quality jobs for millions of Nigerian’s across all the 774 LGA’s in addition to improving the quality of essential services like education and healthcare” said Mathew Verghis, World Bank Country Director for Nigeria “Through the HeSP project, Nigeria will further protect the poor and vulnerable from the disproportionate effects of public health emergencies, both through the direct effect of preventing morbidity and mortality from infectious diseases and from the indirect effects of protecting access to education and labor productivity”
