The Internet exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) and Medallion Datacenters have advocated for internet peering and interconnectivity to boost integration in Nigeria.
The duo’s position was made known in their recently organised workshop in Abuja, as part of plans to enhance integration and strengthen Nigeria’s digital landscape. The event was attended by key stakeholders from the Internet ecosystem, expanding their knowledge on local hosting and other related matters.
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Driving Economic Growth through Enhanced Internet Connections
Muhammed Rudman, CEO of IXPN, emphasised the significant impact that peering and interconnectivity can have on Nigeria’s economy. He explained that these practices can lead to improved internet connections for individuals and organisations, ultimately contributing to economic growth.
“Peering and interconnectivity through Internet exchanges address the challenges of traffic by ensuring the shortest possible route is used to reach a given destination,” Rudman stated. “It keeps traffic as local as possible, which improves performance and enables faster connections between networks, facilitating high-speed data transfer, lower latency, increased bandwidth, and improved fault tolerance.”
Rudman also stressed the importance of hosting content locally, which can create additional revenue opportunities for local Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and data centres. This, in turn, can lead to job creation and serve as a driver for economic development.
Reducing Capital Flight and Enhancing Security
Rudman warned against the practice of hosting data overseas, highlighting its negative implications for Nigeria’s economy, security, legal framework, and businesses. When content is hosted locally in data centres within Nigeria, it has a direct and indirect impact on the economy, including job creation and increased revenue for the government.
“Nigeria cannot continue to pay money to foreign hosting companies as it constitutes capital flight, puts more strain on Nigeria’s foreign earnings, slows the growth of local data centres, and delays the development of new ones,” Rudman emphasised.
Meeting the Growing Demand for Data Centers
Ikechukwu Nnamani, CEO of Medallion Datacenters, echoed the importance of local content hosting and emphasised the need to build more data centres to accommodate Africa’s rapidly growing digital economy.
“While we call for local hosting of content and data, there is also the need to build more data centres to be able to accommodate the strong growth of Africa’s digital economy,” Nnamani stated.
As Africa’s digital economy continues to expand, the demand for data centres is expected to rise significantly. Having more locally hosted content and data centres will not only boost the digital infrastructure but also contribute to job creation and revenue generation within the country.
The workshop, attended by over 100 stakeholders, primarily network engineers and administrators, served as a platform for discussing strategies to enhance internet peering and interconnectivity, with a strong focus on local content hosting and the role it plays in Nigeria’s economic development.
This collaborative effort between IXPN and Medallion Datacenters signifies a commitment to leveraging technology and connectivity to drive economic growth and foster innovation in Nigeria’s digital landscape. As the country continues to advance in the digital age, initiatives like these are crucial for harnessing the full potential of the digital economy.
About IXPN
IXPN is a non-profit and membership-based organisation that provides a platform where networks interconnect directly within Nigeria. IXPN ensures that local Internet traffic remains local, improving performance and enabling faster connections between networks.
About Medallion Datacenters
Medallion Datacenters, a Digital Realty Company, is West Africa’s primary peering and connectivity data centre, facilitating fast, efficient, and cost-effective data centre and connectivity services. Over 70% of all internet traffic exchanged at the Nigeria Internet Exchange takes place at Medallion’s datacenters.