According to the Bank’s website, the Digital Value Chain Infrastructure for Boosting Employment (D-VIBE) Project is a nationwide digital infrastructure initiative in Nigeria designed to expand broadband connectivity, strengthen digital inclusion, and support productivity, jobs, and access to services across key sectors such as agriculture, education, health, commerce, and governance. The project will deploy 90,000 km of fibre optic infrastructure across the country through a public-private partnership (PPP) and a dedicated Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), helping extend the national fibre network from about 30,000 km to 120,000 km. The total project cost is estimated at USD 2 billion, including USD 200 million from the African Development Bank, USD 500 million from the World Bank, and USD 100 million from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

The objective of the D-VIBE Project is to expand access to high-speed broadband infrastructure across Nigeria and improve the availability and use of digital services for citizens, businesses, and public institutions. The project aims to close connectivity gaps, reduce regional and gender disparities in digital access, increase broadband penetration, and strengthen Nigeria’s participation in the digital economy and regional digital integration.

Environmental Category: [1] High Risk

The project is confirmed as Category 1 (High Risk) as a precautionary approach given that the precise project locations and final network routes (90,000 km fibre-optic) are yet to be fully defined.

The major environmental and social impacts include involuntary physical and economic displacement of people, occupational/community health and safety incidents, waste management issues at construction phase. At operational phase, the major E&S concerns revolve around cyberattacks and electronic waste management.

The total project cost is estimated at USD 2 billion, including USD 200 million from the African Development Bank, USD 500 million from the World Bank, and USD 100 million from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

Name: Uyoyo EDOSIO
Email: u.edosio@afdb.org

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

You can submit an information request for project information at: https://www.afdb.org/en/disclosure-and-access-to-information/request-for-documents. Under the AfDBs Disclosure and Access to Information policy, if you feel the Bank has omitted to publish information or your request for information is unreasonably denied, you can file an appeal at https://www.afdb.org/en/disclosure-and-access-to-information/appeals-process.

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF AfDB

The Independent Review Mechanism (IRM), which is administered by the Compliance Review and Mediation Unit (CRMU), is the independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who have been or are likely to be adversely affected by an African Development Bank (AfDB)-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the IRM, it may assist you by either seeking to address your problems by facilitating a dispute resolution dialogue between you and those implementing the project and/or investigating whether the AfDB complied with its policies to prevent environmental and social harms. You can submit a complaint electronically by emailing crmuinfo@afdb.org, b.kargougou@afdb.org, b.fall@afdb.org, and/or s.toure@afdb.org. You can learn more about the IRM and how to file a complaint at: https://www.afdb.org/en/independent-review-mechanism/