A request from a Lagos computer to another Abuja computer took a bizarre, expensive detour through the US or the UK in 2006. Nigerian data did not stay in Nigeria. In fact, only 0.01% Nigeria’s internet traffic was kept within its borders. The result was a digital infrastructure that was fragile, with slower load times and higher costs.
The Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria has been working to solve this problem for almost two decades. It’s working. IXPN is the operator of Nigeria’s first carrier-neutral Data Centre. It has led efforts to localise Nigeria’s internet traffic. The company aims to keep 80% Nigeria’s internet traffic within the country’s borders by 2030.
“When IXPN was founded, only 0.01% of the traffic was local,” Muhammad Rudman, Chief executive officer of IXPN said during a peering meeting hosted by Equinix in June 2025. According to a survey of our members, between 40 and 70 percent of internet traffic stays within Nigeria.
In 2006, IXPN only handled 800 kilobits of traffic per second, barely enough for a modern homepage. It now moves more than 1 terabit of data per second. The exchange point plans to double its capacity by 2025 due to Nigeria’s rapid digital transformation. IXPN was founded with seed funding provided by the Nigerian Communications Commission. The mission of IXPN is to build trust in Nigeria and reduce its reliance on foreign internet routes. The funding allowed for the establishment of Nigeria’s very first carrier-neutral Data Centre. This open, nondiscriminatory facility for interconnection helped to dismantle monopolies by allowing smaller internet service providers (ISPs). The road to progress was not without challenges. In the beginning, Nigerian ISPs were dependent on expensive satellite links or international transport providers. Local peering required technical knowledge, a new mindset in business, and most importantly, trust, which were all initially in short supply.
The pivotal moment was when Google began to peer with IXPN. This endorsement instilled confidence among local ISPs and access and content providers. It led to an increase in local connections and traffic. This marked the beginning of an internet ecosystem that is more self-sufficient in Nigeria.
Routing Internet traffic through international channels, before it returns to Nigerians users, not only causes delays, but also increases costs and increases exposure to global security risks. IXPN’s policy of keeping traffic in the country allows for faster load times, reduced latency, and stronger national cybersecurity. Rudman pointed out that accessing a Nigerian site shouldn’t require you to take a detour via Europe or the U.S. It now hosts multiple crucial DNS root serversare used for.com domains, as well as.net domains, and.ng domains. Recently,.ca was added to the list. This ensures that domain name resolution is handled locally. This improves browsing speed and increases resilience during global network outages. Rudman stated that “we are working to bring critical internet infrastructure in Nigeria.”
“For instance, we’ve partnered up with VeriSign and hosted their root servers for both.com &.net here in IXPN.” Notably, IXPN has never disconnected an ISP for non-payment. Instead, it prioritizes inclusive development over commercial gain.
