IXPN marks anniversary with focus on internet resilience

IXPN, the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria, is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a month-long program aimed at enhancing technical talent, improving internet interconnection, and preparing the country's digital infrastructure for growing demand. The program, themed "20 Years of Building Nigeria’s Internet," will engage students, network operators, data center companies, regulators, and other stakeholders to discuss Nigeria's internet infrastructure evolution and the skills needed for the next phase.

IXPN, which was established in 2006, operates a neutral platform allowing ISPs, telecommunications operators, content providers, data centers, and other network operators to exchange traffic locally. This model aims to reduce the need for domestic traffic to travel through international routes and boost local connectivity efficiency.

IXPN CEO Muhammed Rudman emphasized that the anniversary marks a celebration of the organization's history, the people who have contributed to its development, and an opportunity to prepare the next generation to advance Nigeria's internet infrastructure. A key component of the program is the Student Internet Infrastructure Discovery Programme, which will involve about 100 students from ICT-related programs at tertiary institutions across Nigeria's six geopolitical zones.

The students will learn about the history of the internet in Nigeria, internet exchanges, network operations, ISPs, and data centers. They will also participate in facility visits and discussions on internships and careers in internet infrastructure.

The anniversary program will also include an IPv6 capacity-building initiative for network operators, engineers, universities, and other technical stakeholders, jointly organized by IXPN, the Nigeria IPv6 Council, and AFRINIC. Additionally, a women-focused Internet infrastructure forum will be held to increase women's participation in areas such as network engineering, peering, data centers, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, DNS, IPv6, and internet governance.

The forum will focus on mentorship, professional certifications, internships, technical training, and employment pathways for women entering the sector.

IXPN will host the Nigeria Peering and Interconnection Forum, bringing together network operators, content providers, data centers, regulators, and other industry participants to discuss routing, resilience, peering, and local content delivery. The organization is also producing a documentary and institutional archive documenting Nigeria's internet interconnection development, including insights from founders, leaders, technical professionals, regulators, and industry partners.

The anniversary will conclude with the IXPN@20 Grand Gala Dinner and Excellence & Legacy Awards in Lagos on October 30, recognizing achievements across six categories.