Telecom
IXPN Engages with Stakeholders in Kano, Harps on Improving the Internet Ecosystem
The Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), last week in Kano, one of Nigeria’s commercial cities engaged stakeholders from various sectors on the benefits and impact of connecting to the exchange point.
Cross section of participants at the workshop held in Kano.
At a two-day workshop attended by various Internet Service Providers in Kano state, representatives from the Nigerian Communications Commission, Vice-Chancellors, Provosts, Permanent Secretary of the Kano State Ministry of Science and Technology, Executive Secretary from Kano State Library, Mr. Rudman Muhammed, Chief Executive Officer of IXPN, explained that connecting to the exchange point has a huge role to play in the country’s ICT ecosystem and, ultimately, the digital economy agenda.
According to Rudman, the role of the Internet and easy access to information by students in today’s world cannot be overstated, emphasizing that IXPN is at the forefront of advocating for the localization of educational research contents and other content in-country, with such content easily accessible through the increasingly robust IXPN infrastructure across Nigeria. This will significantly reduce capital flight, improve latency, reduce the risk of such traffic being hijacked, and improve resiliency.
“We believe that the fast-depleting IPV4 resources at AfriNIC underline the need for Higher Educational Institutions to acquire their IP resources and peer with the eXchange point, thereby providing access to their students to contents currently available through the IXPN,” he said.
He also assured that the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria is ready to provide the necessary support to any educational institution that wishes to acquire IP resources and connect to the eXchange point.
The workshop in Kano is coming weeks after IXPN engaged 21 participants from 9 network operators in Lagos in what it described as value-added service to its members through capacity building.
Mr. Rudman at the two-day training programme held at the IXPN Academy located at its corporate headquarters in Lagos, explained the rudiments of BGP to her members, saying Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) is a gateway protocol that enables the internet to exchange routing information between autonomous systems (AS).
“The idea of today’s training is to empower members of the Internet eXchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) with the rudiments and workings of Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), which is important to us as a one-stop peering point for service and content providers,” he emphasized.
The Internet eXchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) announced earlier this year that it will begin capacity building for its members across the country, to empower them on current technology trends and best practices, particularly as it relates to connectivity to the eXchange Point.
The Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) is currently the Regional Internet Exchange Point (RIXP) for West Africa, with over eighty (85) active networks interconnected, including Google, Facebook, Microsoft, and all Nigerian Mobile Network Operators (MNOs).
Telecom
Celebrating African Creativity: Made by Africa, Loved by the World’ Returns for Its Fifth Year
The “Made by Africa, Loved by the World” campaign is back for its fifth year, celebrating African creativity and global influence. This year’s theme, “Where Culture Meets Connection,” highlights how social media fosters conversations around cultural moments worldwide.
The campaign features three cinematic films premiering on the Meta Africa page, showcasing the groundbreaking work and personal stories of six dynamic African creatives.
These artists, from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa, represent diverse disciplines, including rap, animation, dance, photography, fashion, and videography.
Here are some of the featured talents:
- Ladipoe (Nigeria) – A BET-nominated rapper known for blending global hip-hop with African rhythms.
- Fatboy Animations (Kenya) – An animation studio founded by Michael Muthiga, recognized by Forbes for its original African storytelling.
- Lisa Quama (Ghana) – A dancer who gained fame after appearing in Beyoncé’s “Already” music video.
- Gilbert Asante (Ghana) – A photographer and creative director featured in GQ and Glam Africa.
- David Tlale (South Africa) – A fashion designer whose bold designs have been showcased at major fashion events, including the Met Gala.
- Ofentse Mwase (South Africa) – A filmmaker with over 24 international awards for his unique visual storytelling.
Kezia Anim-Addo, Communications Director for Africa, Middle East & Turkey, emphasized that the campaign not only celebrates individual success stories but also showcases how culture and social media drive meaningful connections and inspiration.
Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), has raised the alarm over a diesel supply crisis caused by an ongoing strike by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
Mr Tony Emoekpere, president, ATCON in a statement said that the fuel supply disruption is critically affecting telecom base stations, pushing them to the brink of a shutdown and threatening millions of mobile and internet users in the region.
“This strike, which stems from the persistent harassment of tanker and petroleum product drivers by police officers in Lagos State, has effectively halted all truck loading operations and fuel movements,” Emoekpere stated.
He explained that diesel supply to telecom infrastructure has been severely impacted, leaving critical sites with dangerously low fuel levels.
According to him, if urgent measures are not taken, the situation could escalate into a full-blown network blackout, disrupting essential services, including mobile and internet access, business operations, emergency response systems, and daily communications.
ATCON has called on the governors of Lagos and Ogun states to intervene immediately by facilitating the release of diesel from depots to telecom operators to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
“This is not just a telecom issue—it is a national emergency that could cripple economic activities and compromise public safety,” Emoekpere stressed.
The association also appealed to security agencies and petroleum unions to resolve the crisis swiftly to safeguard Nigeria’s connectivity and economic stability.
ATCON emphasised that a prolonged disruption in fuel supply to telecom infrastructure could have far-reaching consequences for both businesses and individuals who rely on stable communication networks for daily operations.
In 2023, Nigerians spent a total of about ₦5.3 trillion on telecommunications services, which includes calls, data, SMS, and other telecom services, according to the Leadership.
Specifically for voice calls, Nigerians made approximately 408.5 billion minutes of local calls, generating around ₦3.28 trillion from outgoing calls and ₦3.23 trillion from incoming calls, totaling about ₦6.51 trillion in call-related revenue according to projections based on 2023 call volumes and tariff data.
However, the ₦5.3 trillion figure represents the overall telecom sector revenue, with voice calls being a major component but also including data and other services.
For individual spending, MTN subscribers spent an average of ₦2,508 monthly on voice calls in 2023, showing a 14.4% increase from 2022, while Airtel customers spent about ₦1,694 monthly on voice calls.
Total telecom spending (calls, data, SMS, etc.): ₦5.3 trillion in 2023
Estimated revenue from voice calls alone: around ₦6.5 trillion based on call minutes and tariffs
Average monthly spending on calls per subscriber: ₦1,694 to ₦2,508 depending on the network
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