Telecom
ATCON, NiRA & UI Tap AFRINIC to Train Network Engineers on IPv6 Migration
The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON); Nigeria internet Registration Association (NiRA) and University of Ibadan in conjunction with African Network Information Center (AFRINIC) have commenced training of sixty (60) telecoms network engineers on the intricacies of internet protocol version six (IPv6).
The four-day training which started on Tuesday at NiRA house in Lagos, was a mark of shared philosophy among the partners that ‘local; engineers must be at par with their international counterparts.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Internet Number Resources Management (INRM) and IPv6 Course, through the first vice president, Engineer Tony Nwosu, ATCON president, Mr. Olusola Teniola, said that the need to migrate to IPv6 is long overdue, however ATCON is still unhappy that majority of the country’s networks are not IPV6 compliance.
He said that ATCON has continued to invest heavily in the adoption of IPv6 for sheer reasons: the need to increase the productivity and contribution level of networks engineers in the implementation and deployment of IPv6 for Nigerian ICT/telecoms development.
Teniola said, ATCON has invested and still investing heavily on this course due to “the need to enhance the performance of our Network Engineers on network management with the ultimate goal of enhancing the sustainable growth of the Nigerian Telecom Industry is second to none globally. We also saw the need to provide Nigerian network engineers with the required knowledge to compete favourably with their counter parts in the global market.”
He also urged ATCON members to migrate to IPv6 so that the knowledge acquired during the four-day training could be put to use in the various organisation.
On his part, Sunday Folayan, NiRA’s President, re-emphasised that the world of internet is going out of IPv4 addresses as Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) has allocated the final eight IPv4 address blocks to each of the five regional internet registries (RIR) over five years ago.
Folayan who was represented by Muhammed Rudman, NiRA vice president, said “APNIC was the first RIR to run out of freely allocated IPv4 addresses on April 15, 2011. This date marked the point where not everyone who needed and IPv4 address could be allocated one. As a consequence of this exhaustion, end-to-end connectivity as required by specific applications will not be universally available on the internet until IPv6 is fully implemented”.
According to him, IPv6 will open a pool of internet addresses that is a billion-trillion times larger than a total pool of IPv4 addresses which is about 4.3billion, “this means that the number of IPv6 addresses is virtually inexhaustible for the foreseeable future. This will address the need of the ever expanding world population, the growth of the domain name system due to the opening of the new gTLDs and the immerging internet of things (IoTs).
Rev. Folayan said that the training for engineers was paramount to aide companies in the smooth transition to IPv6, adding that one of the challenges identified for the lack of IPv6 in Nigeria “is lack of the required technical skills”, adding that he believes “this training will expose you further to the need for IPv6 and will equip our engineers with the right set of skills to assist their various organisations to migrate to IPv6 so that Nigeria occupy its rightful position in the global IPv6 ranking”.
Also Professor Abel Idowu, vice chancellor, University of Ibadan, who was represented by Dr. Seyi Osunade, director, Information Technology and Media Services at UI, said that as an Institution of higher learning, the management of UI understand the important of IPv6 to teaching and learning hence the decision to be part of the training programme.
He said, “UI recognises the role and impact of information technology on education. It has deployed several infrastructure and solutions for the adoption and use of information technology and media by staff and students for academic and administrative processes.
“In order to leverage the convergence of information technology and media technology to positively affect teaching, learning and research in the University; UI established the Directorate of Information Technology and Media Services (ITeMS). The duty of the directorate is to use information technology and media solutions to provide information, communication and entertainment to all members of the community located locally or elsewhere”.
He added that the Directorate is as a result of the unification of the Management Information System (MIS) unit, the Information and Communication Technology (Internet) project, Diamond FM radio station, University Media Centre, the Computing Centre and the Information Technology Unit of the College of Medicine.
The VC expressed the University’s delight to be associated with AFRINIC on the training related to a critical resource for information technology optimization, adding that “UI business is education and UI will continue to be the first and the best in developing human capacity for the Nigerian industry”.
The training sessions are conducted by African Network Information Center which was accredited in April 2005 by ICANN as the fifth Regional Internet Registry according to criteria defined in its ICP-2 document (criteria for establishment of regional Internet registries).
Nigeria is strengthening its position as a leading digital economy in Africa as it prepares to host the second edition of GITEX Nigeria, against projections that the continent’s artificial intelligence (AI) economy could generate up to $1 trillion in economic value by 2035.
GITEX Nigeria
GITEX Nigeria, described as West Africa’s largest technology, AI and startup event, is scheduled to hold in Abuja and Lagos from Aug. 31 to Sept. 3, under the patronage of President Bola Tinubu.
The event is supported by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy in collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), endorsed by the Lagos State Government and organised by KAOUN International.
With the theme, “Beyond Connectivity: The Bridge to Sovereign Innovation,” the 2026 edition is expected to bring together global technology companies, investors, policymakers, regulators, startups and other stakeholders to advance Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.
According to the organisers, the event will focus on strengthening digital resilience, scaling AI infrastructure, attracting strategic investments and building partnerships to support digital sovereignty across Nigeria and West Africa.
Nigeria’s progress in digital skills development is expected to feature prominently at the event, with the Federal Government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme highlighted as a major intervention.
The programme has recorded 1.87 million registrations across all 774 local government areas, while more than 135,000 Nigerians have been trained through three cohorts.
The programme has also extended learning opportunities to more than 300,000 people through community resources and created 15,000 job and opportunity pathways, according to figures released by the organisers.
Another key initiative, Project BRIDGE, is aimed at expanding Nigeria’s national ICT backbone and improving connectivity in underserved communities.
The project is expected to create up to 20,000 direct jobs and more than 150,000 indirect jobs, train 5,000 Nigerian youths, raise internet penetration above 70 per cent and extend high-speed connectivity to millions of households, businesses, schools and hospitality establishments.
Dr Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, said Nigeria’s objective was to build the foundations for digital sovereignty and a globally competitive AI-powered economy.
“Building on the momentum forged through the implementation of Project BRIDGE, our national blueprint for expanding digital infrastructure and connecting communities across Nigeria, our aspiration ahead of this year’s edition is clear: to solidify the foundations Africa needs for digital sovereignty, technological self-determination, and a globally competitive AI-powered economy,” Tijani said.
He said Nigeria was seeking to promote equitable access, accelerate cross-continental progress and position the country as a producer and exporter of digital technologies and AI solutions.
The GITEX Nigeria Government Leadership and AI Summit will open in Abuja on Aug. 31, bringing together ministers, governors and regulators to discuss digital public infrastructure and other issues shaping West Africa’s digital economy.
The GITEX Nigeria Tech Expo and Future Economy Conference, as well as the Startup Festival, will also return for the second consecutive year.
A new component, FDX Nigeria by GITEX, will focus on finance and digital asset exchange, with the organisers describing it as a platform designed to promote financial inclusion and connect emerging technology with global capital.
Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State said the state remained central to Africa’s digital transformation, noting its role in attracting talent, capital and innovation.
He said hosting GITEX Nigeria would further support Lagos’ ambition of becoming a smarter, more connected and globally competitive economy.
Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General of NITDA, said Nigeria’s digital future would depend not only on technology adoption but also on resilience, trust and effective governance frameworks.
“GITEX NIGERIA seamlessly complements this mandate, creating a unique environment for the dialogue needed to accelerate responsible AI adoption, develop a secure digital economy, and unlock new opportunities for innovation and economic growth,” Abdullahi said.
He said the expertise, investment and partnerships generated through the event would contribute to building an AI ecosystem that was secure, inclusive and capable of supporting Nigeria and West Africa’s long-term competitiveness.
The organisers said Nigeria’s National AI Strategy, 3MTT programme and Project BRIDGE were among initiatives strengthening the country’s capacity in talent development, digital infrastructure, investment attraction and responsible AI adoption.
They said GITEX Nigeria would provide an avenue for global stakeholders to establish partnerships and develop solutions capable of accelerating the region’s digital transformation.
Trixie LohMirmand, CEO of GITEX, said the event was intended to demonstrate that West Africa was ready to convert technological ambition into economic growth, resilience and global competitiveness.
She said GITEX Nigeria would facilitate strategic conversations and partnerships aimed at strengthening regional competitiveness and unlocking scalable growth across Nigeria and West Africa.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Enugu State Government have signed an agreement for the operational lease of the NCC Digital Industrial Park and NCC Learning Centre in Enugu.
The agreement was witnessed by Dr Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, alongside members of the Commission’s Board and Management.
The development is expected to strengthen digital innovation, skills development and technology-driven opportunities in the state.
As part of the engagement, the NCC delegation also visited the Enugu Smart School Initiative, where technology is being integrated into teaching and learning.
The initiative is aimed at equipping young Nigerians with relevant digital skills and preparing them for future opportunities in an increasingly technology-driven economy.
The NCC said it remained committed to supporting initiatives that expand digital inclusion, strengthen innovation and develop the talent required to drive Nigeria’s digital transformation.
The Commission said partnerships with state governments and other stakeholders were critical to creating an enabling environment for digital skills development and technology adoption across the country.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed telecommunications operators to make dedicated budgetary provisions for cybersecurity as part of efforts to strengthen the resilience of Nigeria’s communications infrastructure against the growing wave of cyber threats.
The directive forms part of the Commission’s Cyber Resilience Framework for the Nigerian Communications Sector (CRF-NCS), which introduces new governance, risk management and operational requirements aimed at safeguarding the country’s critical telecommunications infrastructure from increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks.
Under the framework, all licensed telecom operators are expected to establish formal cybersecurity governance structures, dedicate adequate financial resources to cyber resilience programmes, and integrate cybersecurity into their enterprise-wide risk management processes.
The Commission said operators must ensure cybersecurity investments are no longer treated as optional operational expenses but as strategic business priorities necessary to protect network infrastructure, customer information and the country’s digital economy.
According to the NCC, licensees are expected to allocate sufficient budgets to support cyber risk assessments, security technologies, staff training, incident response capabilities, continuous monitoring and compliance with regulatory requirements.
The framework also requires operators to designate senior executives responsible for cybersecurity oversight.
At the same time, boards of directors are expected to provide strategic direction and ensure adequate funding for cyber resilience initiatives.
Speaking on the need for a stronger cybersecurity regime during the unveiling of the framework, Abraham Oshadami, executive commissioner, Technical Services, NCC, said, “Given the increasing digitalisation of services, the rapid growth of data exchange, and the sophisticated nature of modern cyber threats, the need for a robust, adaptive and inclusive cybersecurity framework has become more urgent.”
He added, “Both state and non-state actors are targeting essential sectors—including ours—through coordinated cyber and physical attacks. These attacks frequently target control systems and data integrity, underscoring the critical risks posed to operational technology (OT), especially in our sector.”
“As cyber threats evolve, they endanger not only system performance but also human safety, amplifying the severity and consequences of disruptions to vital communications infrastructure. Cybersecurity now encompasses human safety and must address the real risk to people’s lives when a system is attacked or compromised.”
The Commission further stated that operators are required to develop comprehensive cybersecurity implementation plans, conduct periodic risk assessments, establish business continuity and disaster recovery procedures, and regularly test their cyber defence capabilities.
In addition, the framework makes cyber incident reporting compulsory. Licensees must inform the NCC’s CSIRT of any major cybersecurity breach within four hours of discovery, and provide a thorough post-incident analysis after mitigation is complete.
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