E-Business
Afrinic’s IP Address Crisis Raises Red Flags for African Internet’s Sustainability
The recent IP address crisis involving Africa’s regional internet registry (Afrinic) and Cloud Innovation has shaken up the internet industry, also raising the long-standing question if RIR’s IP asset governance policies are sustainable for long-term network growth.
Recall that on September 14, 2021. Africa’s regional internet registry (Afrinic) has been in a feud with Cloud Innovation (CI) since July, as it intended to revoke over 6 million IP addresses from the China-based company backing the claim with a breach in policy.
Vincentas Grinius, CEO at IPXO, says that the consequences of the situation have already had a significant sway on the industry, also emphasizing the precedent for building a unified regional internet registry (RIR) for increased industry transparency.
Afrinic’s attempt to seize IP addresses currently under Cloud Innovation’s domain backfired, as by bringing the issue directly to court, without an effort to de-escalate the matter, the RIR did not follow its own in-house policies.
As a result, the Supreme Court of Mauritius ordered to freeze the RIR’s bank accounts, crippling its operations. Although due to court order Afrinic has restored CI’s IP address blocks on July 15th, the RIR’s bank assets remain frozen as it continues operating in a reduced capacity.
Grinius noted that the RIR’s decision seemed rather hasty, given the possible consequences for the region. In addition, the unprecedented event spotlighted a long-standing problem – the lack of standardization of policies, governing IP addresses, and for RIR to follow as well.
“The decision was undertaken without the appropriate risk assessment of how it could impact the region. Also, any ambiguities related to IP use should have been disclosed at the beginning of the contract, as any abrupt judgements later on spur more confusion rather than provide solutions,” commented Grinius.
“It may have seemed unlikely for some that the decision of one party, paired with the inconsistencies in regulatory standards, could shake up the already established internet ecosystem. Yet what we have now is a rising threat not only for businesses operating in the region but also for the stability of the entire internet in Africa,” he added.
According to Grinius, the current division in Afrinic’s IP resource governance policies does not support neither stability and transparency in the industry, nor can match its growth. The problem is rooted in the foundations: each registry, including Afrinic, has its own specific set of policies governing its pool of resources.
“The business landscape is evolving at an incredible pace. As the community is behind developing the regulatory policies, it should also aim to be more active in adjusting them to meet modern-day requirements,” Grinius explained. “For example, Afrinic still has no inter-RIR transfer, which enables moving IP resources between registries – other RIRs have set it up a while ago.”
He outlined that this is one of the main reasons why building the first Commercial RIR is next on IPXO’s roadmap.
“From the businesses’ point of view, internet registries’ policy unification will be a powerful solution for companies experiencing IP shortage issues. But it carries way greater significance for the industry as a whole, as it will bring in more transparency and accountability,” commented Grinius.
Recently, IPXO introduced the first fully automated IP leasing and monetization platform, which will be the basis for unifying RIR policies and launching the first Commercial RIR.
The platform is fully compliant and adheres to each RIR’s policies.
“I believe that business-driven IP management could be the catalyst that would facilitate business scaling, making the industry more sustainable and equipped for the modern-day, as, at the moment, red tapism is one of the spokes in the wheels when it comes to industry’s progress,” Grinius noted.
“Market players need to start thinking more long-term as near-sightedness preempts us from building future-proof infrastructures—it overlooks the tools that could help drive innovation. A good point of reference could be the growth of fintech: as different technology intercepted the banking sector, it also gave rise to more diverse products in the financial sector,” he continued.
“This is what we aim to achieve—to provide solutions that will foster innovation, starting with the IP leasing market.”
At the close of 2025, Temidayo Ojo, the CEO of Jumia Nigeria, reflected on a year-end shopping season that points to the growing maturity of the country’s e-commerce market. “Black Friday is no longer a single, short-lived spike in activity,” he said.
“It has become a familiar, anticipated moment in the retail calendar, where consumers shop deliberately and with confidence.”
Preliminary KPIs for the two months ended November 30, 2025, show strong year-on-year growth in both orders and Gross Merchandise Value (GMV), with GMV growth outpacing order growth. This indicates that customers are placing fuller, more considered baskets rather than shopping in fragmented transactions. Nigeria ranked among Jumia Group’s better-performing markets, with engagement remaining steady throughout the Black Friday period rather than spiking briefly and tapering off.
A key factor behind this performance is the growing familiarity of consumers with online shopping. Customers are increasingly leveraging platform features such as saved carts, brand stores, and price comparison tools to plan purchases in advance. This trend suggests that digital commerce is becoming embedded in everyday habits rather than being viewed as a one-off event.
Ojo also highlighted the role of Jumia’s JForce network in connecting digital commerce to local communities. “Our agents are critical to ensuring that customers across Nigeria, including secondary cities and smaller communities, have access to variety, consistent pricing, and reliable delivery,” he said. “During peak periods like Black Friday, JForce agents can respond faster, serve more customers efficiently, and build stronger local relationships. This isn’t just a distribution channel—it’s a pathway to sustainable income and inclusion.”
Reflecting on the overall performance, the CEO concluded: “What we’re seeing this year-end is steady engagement across categories, stronger consumer confidence, and partners like our JForce agents benefiting from increased activity.
“It confirms that Nigeria’s e-commerce ecosystem is maturing, growing in a more structured and resilient way. As the December Holiday Sale continues, we expect these patterns of familiarity, trust, and participation to sustain momentum and drive both commerce and community impact across the country.”
Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) has been ranked first overall in the 2025 Federal Government Website Performance Scorecard.
This is a landmark achievement for Nigeria’s digital economy.
The ranking, conducted by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), is the definitive benchmark for digital excellence and transparency across all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
Professor Ibrahim Adepoju Adeyanju, managing director and CEO of Galaxy Backbone, received the award during a ceremony in Abuja.
He described the feat as a validation of the agency’s“Nigeria First”data sovereignty strategy and its relentless pursuit of service excellence.
This recognition comes as the Federal Government intensifies its push to achieve a fully paperless civil service by December 31, 2025.
GBB has been the primary architect of this transition through its 1Gov Enterprise Content Management (ECM) platform, which now hosts the operations of almost all federal MDAs.
The award adds to a growing list of accolades for Galaxy Backbone in 2025, following its recent win of the “International Standard Excellence Award for Best IT Service Provider.”
As the central hub for government shared services, GBB’s performance serves as a blueprint for other agencies currently undergoing digital transformation.
With its expanded fiber-optic backbone now covering over 13 states and its secure cloud solutions, Galaxy Backbone remains the cornerstone of Nigeria’s vision to become a leading digital nation by the end of the decade.
Okitipi Samuel, a Nigerian man, has been taken into custody by the Nigeria Police Force for his alleged role in a global cyberattack on Microsoft 365 users.
Benjamin Hundeyin, Force public relations officer, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja while briefing journalists on the outcome of investigations carried out by the National Cybercrime Centre of the Nigeria Police Force.
Hundeyin said the centre, under the leadership of Ifeanyi Uche, its director and Commissioner of Police, commenced investigations in collaboration with Microsoft, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Secret Service, and the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency.
According to him, investigations revealed that a phishing toolkit known as “Raccoon 0365” was used to create fake Microsoft login portals to harvest user credentials and unlawfully access email accounts belonging to corporate organisations, financial institutions, and educational institutions in several countries.
“This investigation commenced following credible intelligence received from Microsoft USA through the FBI, indicating that a malicious phishing toolkit known as Raccoon0365 was being used to create fake Microsoft login portals, harvest user credentials, and unlawfully access the email accounts of corporate organisations, financial institutions, and educational establishments,” Hundeyin said.
He added that between January and September 2025, several reports of unauthorised access to Microsoft 365 accounts were traced to phishing emails designed to mimic legitimate Microsoft login pages, enabling business email compromise, internal phishing, data breaches, and other cyber-enabled fraud.
Hundeyin said digital forensic analysis and cryptocurrency tracing identified wallets connected to the illegal operation.
He noted that operatives were deployed to Lagos and Edo states, leading to the arrest of three suspects identified as Joshua, James, and Okitipi Samuel between September 20 and October 4, 2025.
“Following extensive digital forensic and technical intelligence analysis, the centre conducted cryptocurrency tracing that identified suspicious wallets connected to cash-out schemes.
“Acting on actionable intelligence, operational teams were deployed to Lagos and Edo states, resulting in the arrest of Joshua, James, and Okitipi Samuel. Searches at their residences led to the recovery of mobile devices, laptops, and other digital exhibits linked to the fraudulent scheme,” he said.
Hundeyin identified Okitipi Samuel, also known as “0365” and Moses Felix as the principal suspect and developer of the phishing infrastructure.
He added that investigations confirmed Samuel unlawfully used the email details of one of the arrested individuals without consent to register some of the accounts used in the operation.
The police spokesperson said further investigations revealed that the identities of Joshua and James were used without their consent.
“There was no evidence linking them to the creation or operation of the phishing scheme. They were victims of identity theft,” Hundeyin said.
He said a prima facie case had been established against Samuel for identity theft, unlawful access to computer systems, creation and distribution of malicious software, unauthorised interference with network data, and aiding and abetting fraud.
Hundeyin added that the suspect would be charged under relevant provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2024.
He said the suspect would be prosecuted in Nigeria, noting that the country has the capacity to enforce its cybercrime laws, although extradition could be considered if formally requested through due process.
Hundeyin assured Nigerians that the police, under the leadership of Kayode Egbetokun, inspector-general of Police, would continue to protect the country’s digital ecosystem and urged citizens to practise good cyber hygiene by being cautious when clicking links and sharing personal information online.
Speaking separately, Ifeanyi Uche, director of the National Cybercrime Centre, urged Nigerians to exercise caution online.
Uche advised members of the public to avoid clicking on links from unknown or unexpected sources, noting that such links often contain malware or phishing tools designed to compromise devices and personal data.
He warned that indiscriminate clicking of links or responding to unsolicited emails could lead to unauthorised access to personal and corporate accounts, urging citizens to “wash their cyber hands” by verifying sources before taking action online.
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