Quest Merchant Bank has been appointed as Transaction Advisor for Project BRIDGE, a broadband infrastructure initiative of the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE), led by Bosun Tijani, the minister.

Project BRIDGE, short for Broadband Infrastructure Development for Digital Economy, is designed to deepen Nigeria’s digital backbone through the deployment of about 90,000 kilometres of open-access fibre-optic cables nationwide.

The initiative is expected to boost broadband penetration, strengthen connectivity and drive inclusive economic growth.

Under the mandate, Quest Merchant Bank will work with the ministry and the Project Implementation Unit to structure the project’s financial and commercial framework.

This includes developing bankable investment models, engaging investors and designing a public-private partnership structure to ensure efficient execution and sustainability.

Afolabi Olorode, acting managing director, described the project as a critical intervention for Nigeria’s digital economy.

“Project BRIDGE represents a critical step in strengthening Nigeria’s digital backbone and unlocking the immense opportunities within the country’s digital economy. We are honoured to partner with the FMCIDE under the leadership of Honourable Minister, Dr Bosun Tijani on this important initiative,” he said.

He added that the bank would leverage its expertise in infrastructure finance to develop “a robust and investable framework that will attract private capital and support long-term national development.”

Also speaking, Yetunde Falore, head of Investment Banking at Quest Merchant Bank, said the project comes at a defining moment for Nigeria’s digital economy.

“Nigeria’s digital economy is entering a defining phase, and infrastructure initiatives such as Project BRIDGE will play a central role in expanding connectivity, deepening digital inclusion, and supporting sustainable economic growth,” she stated.

Falore noted that the bank would focus on ensuring the timely and efficient delivery of the project in its advisory role.

The initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which prioritises digital infrastructure expansion and private sector participation in critical national assets.

Kenya’s High Court has ruled that mobile phone numbers are not disposable assets, but constitutionally protected digital identifiers, striking at the core of a long-standing industry practice of arbitrarily reassigning inactive SIM cards without the owners’ consent.

In a landmark decision that could reshape telecom regulation and digital identity frameworks across Africa, sitting at Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi, Justice Lawrence Mugambi declared that reassigning a phone number without the original owner’s consent violates the right to privacy.

The ruling effectively elevates a SIM card into the same legal category as personal data tied to an individual’s private life.

At the heart of the ruling is Article 31 of the Constitution, which safeguards citizens from unnecessary disclosure of private information and interference with communications.

The court found that in today’s digital economy, a registered mobile number functions as a critical gateway to sensitive personal data, linking users to mobile money platforms like M-PESA, banking systems, email accounts, and social media profiles.

“When mobile digital identity is lost through reallocation or recycling without interrogating the reasons behind inactivity, it creates an avenue for unauthorised disclosure of delicate information,” the judgment stated.

The case, brought by Erastus Ngura Odhiambo, petitioner and former prisoner, challenged the routine telecoms practice of deactivating SIM cards after prolonged inactivity and reassigning them to new users.

Odhiambo lost access to his mobile phone number due to inactivity while serving his lengthy sentence.

He argued that the practice exposes individuals to serious risks, including misdirected financial transactions, intercepted one-time passwords, and unintended access to private communications.

The court agreed, highlighting how recycled numbers can result in strangers receiving confidential messages, authentication codes, and even being added to private messaging groups, effectively inheriting fragments of another person’s digital life.

Justice Mugambi also criticised the rigidity of SIM deactivation policies, calling them “arbitrary” for failing to consider legitimate reasons for inactivity such as incarceration, studying in restricted environments, or living abroad.

“Incarceration does not strip an individual of their constitutional rights to privacy and identity,” he noted.

For telecom operators, including Safaricom, the ruling introduces a significant compliance burden. The court outlined three strict conditions before any number can be reassigned.

Telcos must obtain informed and verifiable consent from the original owner, issue a public notice and conduct traceability efforts over a reasonable period.

More importantly, the court further directed that telecoms firms must implement technical safeguards to prevent data exposure to the new user.

The Office of the Attorney General has been given six months to translate these directives into enforceable regulations.

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