The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has formally inaugurated the Nigeria IPv6 Council, signaling a renewed push to accelerate the country’s transition to next-generation internet infrastructure.
Speaking at the inauguration, NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Aminu Maida, described the event as “a defining moment in Nigeria’s digital evolution,” emphasizing the country’s readiness to play a leading role in the future of the global internet.
The Nigeria IPv6 Council, a national chapter of the IPv6 Forum, was originally established in 2014 to promote awareness, coordinate development strategies, and foster collaboration among stakeholders. However, despite years of advocacy, Nigeria’s adoption of IPv6 remains low.
According to global internet registry Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC), Nigeria’s IPv6 adoption rate stands at about 5 percent, significantly below the global average of over 40 percent.
Experts warn that the exhaustion of IPv4 addresses, coupled with the rapid expansion of emerging technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things, makes the transition to IPv6 increasingly urgent.
Maida stressed that IPv6 adoption is now a strategic necessity for national competitiveness, cybersecurity, and economic sovereignty. “This is not a task any single institution can accomplish alone,” he said, calling for coordinated efforts across government, industry, academia, and the private sector.
The newly inaugurated council has been tasked with developing and implementing a National IPv6 Deployment Strategy, including setting measurable targets to significantly increase adoption in the coming years.
Other priorities include establishing monitoring frameworks, driving technical capacity building, promoting public sector leadership in adoption, and engaging private sector stakeholders to remove barriers to deployment.
Chairman of the Council, Muhammad Rudman, highlighted challenges that have slowed progress, including limited funding, low awareness, and continued reliance on IPv4 due to its availability in parts of Africa.
Despite these obstacles, Rudman expressed optimism, noting that Nigeria has already trained a significant number of engineers in IPv6 technologies. However, he raised concerns about talent migration, which has affected local capacity.
He also revealed that while many Nigerian networks have acquired IPv6 addresses, only a fraction are actively deploying them to end users, one of the key gaps the council aims to address.
The council’s roadmap includes nationwide awareness campaigns, certification training programs, and policy development in 2026, followed by broader deployment and enforcement measures by 2027. Long-term goals include achieving at least 30 percent nationwide IPv6 adoption by 2030.
Industry stakeholders believe that successful implementation could unlock economic opportunities, improve internet security, and position Nigeria as a digital leader in Africa.
“This transition is not optional,” Rudman said. “It is essential for Nigeria’s digital transformation and global competitiveness.”
Members of the newly inaugurated council include stakeholders drawn from: Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria, IXPN, National Information Technology Department Agency, NITDA and Nigeria Internet Registration Association, NiRA.
Other are Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, ATCON, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, ALTON, Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria, ISPON and Nigerian Research and Education Network, NgREN.
Experts such as Mr. Chris Uwaje (Adviser to the Council) and Prof. Ladid Latif (Adviser to the Council – Moroccan) were also included.
