By Boluwatife Oshadiya | October 12, 2026
Key Points
- The World Bank Group is supporting efforts to mobilise up to $5.79 billion in private financing across Nigeria’s agriculture, digital infrastructure and small-business sectors
- Its BRIDGE and FINCLUDE programmes are expected to attract private investment, expand broadband access and support approximately 850,000 jobs
- The institution says the financing combines investments already mobilised with anticipated capital, rather than representing a newly approved loan or grant
Main Story
The World Bank Group is helping mobilise up to $5.79 billion in private financing for Nigeria, targeting digital infrastructure, agriculture and small businesses to expand economic opportunities and support job creation.
The institution disclosed this in a report titled “Unlocking $5.79 Billion in Private Financing”, which outlines investment arrangements, policy reforms and risk-mitigation measures intended to attract private capital into productive sectors.
According to the report, the Building Resilient Digital Infrastructure for Growth (BRIDGE) Project is expected to attract at least $156 million in private equity through its initial investor-selection process. Subsequent financing rounds could unlock up to $1.1 billion by 2030.
The World Bank projects that the initiative could extend affordable broadband access to an additional 58 million Nigerians, increasing coverage from 92 million people in 2025 to approximately 150 million by 2030. The programme also targets connectivity for 38,800 public schools, 16,900 healthcare facilities and 3,400 local government offices.
In small-business financing, the Fostering Inclusive Finance for MSMEs in Nigeria programme, known as FINCLUDE, is expected to mobilise nearly $1.89 billion in private financing and support approximately 850,000 direct and indirect jobs. It targets more than 250,000 micro, small and medium enterprises.
The Bank also identified its Agricultural Value Chains for Growth Project, which is expected to support approximately one million smallholder farmers. The programme could attract $220 million from agribusiness companies and another $22 million from certified seed producers.
In the fertiliser industry, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) helped mobilise $1.02 billion for Dangote Industries Limited and $282.5 million for Indorama Fertilizer through financing arrangements involving development institutions and commercial lenders.
The institution also cited IFC’s participation in a $1.2 billion IHS Towers bond issuance, which helped attract more than $1.1 billion from private investors into telecommunications infrastructure.
The World Bank attributed the investment drive partly to economic reforms introduced since mid-2023, particularly foreign-exchange management and public-finance measures. It identified the IFC’s commercial financing expertise and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency’s (MIGA) risk guarantees as important mechanisms for attracting investors.
What’s Being Said
The World Bank Group’s report presents coordinated policy reforms, investment platforms and risk-mitigation instruments as mechanisms for converting improvements in the investment environment into commercially viable projects.
The institution also emphasises the role of the IFC and MIGA in structuring investments, providing financing and reducing risks that could discourage private investors. The supplied report summary contains no direct quotation from a named official, so no verbatim quote has been added.
What’s Next
- Digital infrastructure: The BRIDGE Project’s subsequent financing rounds could mobilise up to $1.1 billion in private investment by 2030.
- Broadband expansion: The programme targets approximately 150 million people with broadband coverage by 2030, alongside expanded connectivity for public institutions.
- Private-sector development: FINCLUDE and the agricultural value-chain programme are expected to channel financing towards MSMEs, agribusinesses and smallholder farmers.
Bottom Line
The Bottom Line: The $5.79 billion financing target signals an effort to use private capital and risk-sharing mechanisms to support Nigeria’s development priorities without relying solely on direct public financing. Its economic value will ultimately depend on how much anticipated investment materialises and whether the resulting projects deliver measurable improvements in jobs, connectivity and agricultural productivity.
