The Aporia · Nigeria set to complete $2B fiber optic rollout in 3 years

Nigeria’s government announced plans to complete a 90,000 km fiber optic cable network within three years at the Semafor’s Next 3 Billion summit, aiming to connect 40 million people without internet access. The $2 billion project, originally scheduled for five years and supported by international financial institutions like the World Bank and African Development Bank, is part of Nigeria's strategy to improve digital connectivity and close the usage gap where more than half the population lives in covered areas but does not use the internet. Minister Bosun Tijani emphasized the need for local talent development and data storage improvements to fully leverage AI technology towards economic growth goals.

Written by AI on 2026-09-22, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

Story summary

Nigeria plans to complete a $2 billion fiber optic cable network rollout covering 90,000 km within three years, accelerating an original five-year timeline. This project, supported by the World Bank and African Development Bank, aims to connect 40 million people lacking internet access. Digital economy minister Bosun Tijani announced this progress at Semafor’s Next 3 Billion summit in New York. Additionally, installation of 3,700 telecommunications towers, another crucial part of Nigeria's digital connectivity strategy, is set for completion within two years.

With a population of over 220 million, Nigeria seeks to bridge significant gaps in internet access and usage. According to a report by the Partnership for Digital Access in Africa, more than half of Nigeria’s population lives in areas with internet coverage but does not use it. Minister Tijani highlighted that meaningful connectivity is essential for benefiting from technological innovation.

Written for “Nigeria Fiber Optic Expansion” on 2026-11-02, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

📰 Nigeria Fiber Optic Expansion

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2026-10-16

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🔮 Digital economy and communications minister Bosun Tijani said the $2 billion project, which was initially set to take five years, is at the core of Nigeria’s plan to connect 40 million people without internet access.

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There is also a usage gap: A report by the Partnership for Digital Access in Africa, a non-profit aimed at driving up internet connectivity, and global telecom association GSMA estimates that more than half of the country’s population live in areas with internet coverage, but do not use it.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-22

2026-09-22 · Semafor

Nigeria set to complete $2B fiber optic rollout in 3 years · assertive framing

The News Nigeria is on track to complete a 90,000 km fiber optic cable network in three years, a government minister said, beating an initial timeline for the project backed by the World Bank and the African Development Bank. asserted

minister → complete → Bank

Digital economy and communications minister Bosun Tijani said the $2 billion project, which was initially set to take five years, is at the core of Nigeria’s plan to connect 40 million people without internet access. asserted

which → say → access

The installation of 3,700 telecommunications towers, another key element of the digital connectivity roadmap, will finish in the next two years, he added. asserted

he → finish → years

“What we do not have is meaningful connectivity, the sort of connectivity that you truly need to be able to benefit from the sort of innovation that we’re seeing,” Tijani said at Semafor’s Next 3 Billion summit in New York on Tuesday. asserted

Tijani → need → Tuesday

Know More Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country and a growing market for digital technologies. asserted

Nigeria → grow → technologies

But gaps in internet access mean more infrastructure investment is required to ensure most of its 220 million people can get online. asserted

most → mean → people

half → be → it

Nigeria unveiled its AI strategy document last year, aiming to harness the technology to help create a trillion-dollar economy by 2030. asserted

Nigeria → unveil → 2030

But the country needs to develop local capacity and change how it stores data to avoid getting left behind, the minister said. asserted

minister → need → data

“If we truly want AI to be inclusive — even before we start talking about compute — we have to ensure that most countries’ realities are digitized,” Tijani said. asserted

Tijani → want → compute

“The starting point for a country like ours is to invest in talent.” asserted

point → invest → talent

Nigeria set to complete $2B fiber optic rollout in 3 years

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