The Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria on Monday commended the Federal Ministry of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy for spearheading a new initiative known as ‘Project Bridge’.

ATCON’s president, Tony Emoekpere, stated in an interview in Lagos that the initiative aimed to create a robust and resilient telecommunications backbone across Nigeria.

Mr Emoekpere stated that the project was an ambitious public-private partnership designed to connect all 36 states and Abuja, as well as LGAs, via fiber optic cables.

According to him, the initiative is not meant to replace existing infrastructure but to complement it, creating a more resilient network.

“Right now, most of the networks that we have are linear in nature. ’Just imagine, if there’s only one road from Lagos to Ibadan; if anything happens to that road, you would not get to Ibadan.

‘’This project will create alternative routes,” he said.

The ATCON boss stated that the project was modeled after the successful PPP framework in the energy sector, with the government contributing a certain percentage to the Special Purpose Vehicle and the private sector providing the remaining funding.

He stated that the project’s goal was to establish alternative, redundant connections, thereby ensuring that services remained uninterrupted even if one part of the network was compromised.

The president expressed the full support of telcos, noting that the project would enable members to deliver services more effectively in locations where infrastructure was currently a significant challenge.

“With this project, we will have multiple options,” he said.

Project BRIDGE involves building a nationwide fiber optic network to expand digital infrastructure and connectivity, rather than a physical bridge, as part of Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan.

The project is a public-private partnership ($2 billion cost) using an SPV to deploy 90,000km of fiber-optic cable to enhance education, healthcare, and the digital economy.

(NAN)