FG launches digital research project BRIDGE, funds with ₦12 Billion

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Federal Government of Nigeria has approved ₦12 billion to
fund digital economy research in universities and research institutions, in an
initiative called  Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure for Growth  (BRIDGE)
Project, across the country.

The announcement was made in late March 2026, by the
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani,
who called on universities, polytechnics and accredited research bodies, to
apply before the 13th of April.

FG says the money will be channelled through the National
Digital Economy Research Clusters (NDERC), which is a new initiative under
Project BRIDGE, the government’s landmark plan to wire 90,000 kilometres of
fibre optic cable across the nation.

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The Ministry has also hosted a three-day virtual open day,
organised through the Project BRIDGE Implementation Unit in collaboration with
the Ministry of Education, to guide universities and research institutions on
the NDERC initiative.

“Today my heart is filled with deep joy as we announce
the Expression of Interest for the National Digital Economy Research Clusters,
a ₦12 billion research funding scheme designed to place ideas, evidence and
research at the centre of Nigeria’s digital transformation,” Tijani said
at the launch.

Report has it that for the first time in Nigeria’s recent
history, a sitting minister openly said that the country has been making
digital policy decisions based more on guesswork than on facts, adding that
project BRIDGE is meant to fix that.

Reports recalled that the World Bank had in October 2025,
approved $500 million in concessional financing for the BRIDGE Project.

The minister added that the project, with a total cost of
$1.6 billion (including funds
from European Bank for Reconstruction and Development-EBRD, European Union,
World Bank), will roll out a nationwide fibre network managed through a
Special Purpose Vehicle that is majority privately owned and operated, with the
Federal Government retaining a minority stake.

Research indicates that the project is aimed at deploying at
least 90,000 km of fibre optic cables as Nigeria’s core connectivity infrastructure
and national backbone for universal access to Information and Communication
Technology across Nigeria, under a Public-Private Partnership funding model.

Experts have expressed surprise at the ambition behind
Project BRIDGE. They noted that the project targets 20,000 direct and 150,000
indirect jobs, as well as 1.5 percent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth from
$472.6 billion to $502 billion in four years.

According to
research, beyond jobs and money, over 200,000 educational, healthcare
and social institutions will gain internet access, addressing the connectivity
gap for 33 million offline Nigerians.

However, according to sources, according to sources have stated that with all those cables in the ground and all
that money invested, none of it will reach its full potential without good
research, which is the aim of
the ₦12 billion BRIDGE project
initiative.

Dr Tijani
noted that the NDERCs are
expected to drive critical insights that will inform national policies and
shape the future of Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

He added
that the clusters are expected to be led by up to 36 professors from
Nigerian universities, collaborating with global academic partners and over 200
researchers, including postdoctoral fellows and PhD candidates, to produce
insights that will shape policy and strengthen institutions.

The funding, announced by Dr Tijani, allocates approximately
$1.5 million to each of the six research clusters, positioning the initiative
as one of the largest coordinated public investments in digital economy
research in the country.

The Minister’s spokesperson, Mr. Isime Esene, Special
Adviser on Media and Communications, gave a detailed breakdown of the
programme’s design and called on the country’s academic leadership to engage.

Esene emphasised that the sessions were open to
Vice-Chancellors, Rectors and senior research officials. 

“These sessions
will provide detailed guidance on programme expectations and consortium
requirements. It is a direct opportunity for institutions to engage with the
implementation unit before the final deadline,” Esene stated.

The World Bank, which is backing the broader BRIDGE project
financially, has also weighed in on the significance of this kind of
evidence-led approach.

“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,” the bank said in a statement
following its $500 million approval.

Officials explained
that the clusters are designed to feed findings back into the larger
infrastructure project, so the research informs real deployment decisions, not
just policy documents.

Research indicates
that Nigeria also has recent evidence that this kind of investment
works. 

Nigeria’s global AI readiness ranking moved from 103rd to 72nd, after the ministry funded
45 AI research projects that produced more than 27 peer-reviewed publications.

Meanwhile,
stakeholders have noted that for many Nigerians, especially young researchers and
digital entrepreneurs,
the implications of this fund go beyond the academic world.

Experts also
explained that there are connectivity implications for everyday
Nigerians in towns and villages,
as Nigeria still has roughly 130 million people offline, adding that while the immediate output
of the programme will be policy-relevant research, the longer-term value lies
in its potential to reshape how decisions are made in Nigeria’s digital
economy.

Authorities expect ICT to contribute largely to GDP
by 2027, supported by research-driven policymaking. Today, digital activities
already account for close to 20% of Nigeria’s economy, a
figure the government wants to grow and grow sustainably.