World Bank to approve $750m loans for Nigeria on September 30, 2025, targeting broadband expansion and stronger health security systems

World Bank is set to approve two major loans worth $750 million for Nigeria on Tuesday, 30 September 2025, according to the bank’s official website. The loans will target digital infrastructure and healthcare security.

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The package includes $500m for the Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure for Growth in Nigeria (BRIDGE) project, and $250m for Phase II of the Health Security Programme in Western and Central Africa, Nigeria.

The BRIDGE project, led by the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, aims to expand broadband access, especially in rural and underserved areas.

With a total cost of $1.6bn, the World Bank will provide $500m while additional funds will come from private investors and international development banks.

Plans include laying fibre-optic cables across Nigeria, linking all six geopolitical zones with Lagos, and building city loops, regional networks, and data centres.

The project will be executed through a Special Purpose Vehicle, with the Federal Government owning 51% and private investors holding 49%.

The second loan, worth $250m, will support Nigeria’s health security capacity. Managed by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention under the supervision of the Ministry of Finance, it will strengthen the country’s ability to prevent and respond to health emergencies, drawing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and other outbreaks.

Between June 2023 and August 2025, Nigeria secured $8.4bn in loans from the World Bank for energy, education, health, rural development, and governance projects.

However, experts remain divided on the implications. While some argue that concessional loans tied to productive sectors could stimulate growth, others warn of rising debt levels.

Nigeria’s public debt currently stands at about N149 trillion, up from N87 trillion when President Muhammadu Buhari left office.

The World Bank remains Nigeria’s largest external creditor, holding around 40% of its external debt stock as of March 2025.

Also read: World Bank loans to Nigeria hit $8.4bn in two years

The upcoming loan approvals highlight both Nigeria’s urgent need for infrastructure financing and the growing concerns over long-term debt sustainability.