Nigeria is taking steps to upgrade its internet infrastructure with a renewed push toward adopting Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), as part of a broader strategy to unlock opportunities in an estimated $18 billion digital market.
The move was announced in Lagos during the inauguration of the Nigeria IPv6 Council by the Nigerian Communications Commission. The initiative is aimed at strengthening the country’s digital backbone and positioning it for emerging technologies.
Chairman of the council, Muhammed Rudman, expressed concern over the slow pace of migration from Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4), noting that adoption in Nigeria has remained at about five percent over the past 13 years. This lags behind Africa’s average of six percent and the global level of around 40 percent.
IPv6, which uses a 128-bit addressing system, is designed to replace IPv4 and offers a vastly larger pool of unique internet addresses. This expanded capacity is essential for supporting the growing number of connected devices, including those powering the Internet of Things, as well as technologies such as 5G and cloud computing.
Rudman explained that the council has activated a coordinated national framework to accelerate adoption across sectors. The strategy includes a dual-stack transition model, allowing IPv4 and IPv6 to operate simultaneously, alongside efforts to improve network performance, enhance security, and build technical capacity.
Under the roadmap, government networks are expected to achieve 20 percent IPv6 adoption by 2027, while telecom operators are projected to reach 25 percent compliance within the same timeframe. The broader target is to attain 30 percent nationwide adoption by 2030.
He attributed the slow transition to weak demand, limited awareness, and the continued availability of IPv4 globally. According to him, many users are indifferent to the underlying technology as long as internet access remains uninterrupted.
“Most users just want internet access. They do not care whether it is IPv4 or IPv6. That is why operators are not under pressure to migrate, even though the future depends on it,” he said.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Aminu Maida, described the transition as urgent, emphasising its importance to Nigeria’s digital future.
“IPv6 is no longer optional. It is a strategic necessity. The investments we make today will determine Nigeria’s digital competitiveness tomorrow,” he said.
To support the transition, the NCC and the IPv6 Council have introduced a National IPv6 Implementation Strategy aimed at accelerating deployment across both public and private sectors.
Industry analysts also pointed out that continued reliance on IPv4—often extended through Network Address Translation—has slowed progress. While this method allows multiple users to share a single address, it can reduce performance, complicate security, and limit innovation.
Technology expert Chris Uwaje warned that continued dependence on outdated systems could hinder the country’s digital ambitions.
“We cannot continue to depend on outdated systems while the world is moving forward,” he said.
