Telecom
IXPN, Medallion DC Rally Stakeholders on Internet Peering and Interconnectivity
Internet eXchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), a membership-based organisation, which provides a platform where networks interconnect directly within Nigeria and Medallion Datacenters, West Africa’s most connected facilities last week in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city in a workshop engaged various stakeholders, mostly in the Internet ecosystem on Internet peering and interconnectivity.
Essentially, the workshop and subsequent engagement was centered around the impact of Internet eXchange Point of Nigeria and Medallion Datacenters on the ICT industry, and ultimately, the benefits of peering and interconnection to prospective organizations.
Explaining what peering and interconnectivity between various stakeholders will bring to the industry, the Chief Executive Officer of IXPN, Mr. Muhammed Rudman, noted that peering will enhance Internet connections for citizens and organisations alike, which will at the end of the day help the economy to thrive.
“Peering and interconnectivity through internet exchanges address the challenges of traffic by ensuring the shortest possible route is used to reach a given destination. 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,” he said at the gathering that attracted over 100 stakeholders, mostly network engineers and administrators.
He also called for a concerted effort to host of content locally, stressing that doing so will provide additional revenue opportunities to local Internet Service Providers and datacenters which in turn creates more jobs and serves as a driver for economic growth.
“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 centers and delays the development of new ones,” he said.
Warning that hosting data overseas has several implications on the economy, end users, Nigeria’s security, legal and businesses, Mr. Rudman argued that if the content is hosted locally in any of the data centres, it has a direct and indirect impact on the economy in terms of job creation and revenue for the government.
Mr. Muhammed Rudman, Chief Executive Officer of IXPN and Engr. Ikechukwu Nnamani, Chief Executive Officer of Medallion Datacenters
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer of Medallion Datacenters, Engr. Ikechukwu Nnamani asserted that the strong growth of Africa’s digital economy will drive demand for more data centers on the continent. Thus, there is a need to have more data centers to be able to accommodate the surge.
“While we call for local hosting of content and data, there is also the need to build more data centers to be able to accommodate the strong growth of Africa’s digital economy,” he said.
He said Medallion already boasts of a datacentres, which is touted as the largest Peering and Connectivity hub in West Africa with 70+ Carriers and ISPs present and accommodate 68 percent of Nigeria Internet Exchange’s traffic.
But going by the strong growth of Africa’s digital economy, it is building another datacenter with 232 racks, that has access to the initial datacenter and providers via campus connects.
Meanwhile, to boost the capacity of its increasing members and reiterate its commitment towards improving the internet ecosystem in the country, IXPN organized a free Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) training for network engineers and administrators that attended the workshop as well as peering benefits to prospective organizations.
According to IXPN, the training was aimed at empowering its members with the rudiments and workings of the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), which is important as a one-stop peering point for service and content providers.
Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) is a gateway protocol that enables the internet to exchange routing information between autonomous systems (AS).
IXPN is currently the Regional Internet Exchange Point (RIXP) for West Africa, with over 110 active networks interconnected, including Google, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft, Hurricane Electric, Cloudfare, Netflix and some Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) in Nigeria.
Airtel Africa Foundation, through Airtel Nigeria, has marked International Volunteer Day 2025 by celebrating the impact of the Employee Volunteer Programme (EVP), a flagship initiative by which employees volunteer their time, expertise, and personal resources to advancing the Foundation’s mission across 14 African markets.
The celebration brought together volunteers at the Airtel Nigeria Headquarters in Lagos for moments of team bonding activities, testimonials, and volunteer spotlights. The event also served as a call to action, encouraging more employees to register for EVP activities and join the volunteer community.
The EVP has become a cornerstone of Airtel Africa Foundation’s community impact, empowering employees to drive local CSR initiatives and champion causes that promote education, digital skills, environmental responsibility, and youth empowerment. Through the programme, volunteers have contributed significantly to initiatives such as the International Day of Education Essay Competition, Teacher-for-a-Day sessions, beach clean-ups, market sensitisation exercises to reduce plastic waste, and the Airtel-3MTT NextGen Fellowship for young Nigerians.
Speaking about the celebration, Dinesh Balsingh, Airtel Nigeria Chief Executive Officer, said, “International Volunteer Day reminds us that real impact begins with people who are willing to show up and serve. Today we honour the incredible dedication of Airtel employees, whose selfless commitment of time and talent is the engine behind our progress. Their contribution is the backbone of our work and the reason we continue to transform communities across Africa.”
Over the years, the EVP in Nigeria has delivered tangible outcomes through numerous impactful initiatives such as financial donations to the Lagos State Government COVID-19 control efforts. In 2025 alone, volunteers have contributed more than 200 hours of service, reaching over 100,000 beneficiaries.
Commenting on the commitment of Airtel Nigeria’s employees, Femi Adeniran, Director, Corporate Communications & CSR, said, “Volunteering is at the heart of who we are. Behind every empowered learner, every restored environment, and every connected community is an individual who believed in making a difference, and we are thankful for your participation. Our mission remains clear: to use technology, resources, and our collective humanity to build a digitally inclusive, socially responsible, and sustainable Africa.”
International Volunteer Day provides a global moment to honour volunteers whose contributions often go unseen but deliver lasting impact. As its EVP continues to grow, Airtel Africa Foundation remains committed to expanding access to education, digital literacy, environmental care, and opportunities for underserved communities across the continent.
Nigerian creators have emerged dominant at the 2025 TikTok Awards for Sub-Saharan Africa, winning six of the ten categories at the ceremony held in Johannesburg, South Africa.
TikTok Sub-Saharan Africa Awards
The awards, themed “New Era, New Icons”, celebrated outstanding creativity across the continent, with Nigeria’s victories underscoring its growing influence in digital culture and entertainment.
Raja’atu Muhammed Ibrahim, known as @diaryofanortherncook, from Sokoto, won the prestigious Creator of the Year Award, recognised for her cinematic storytelling of Northern Nigerian cuisine. Abuja-based Brian Nwana (@briannwana) clinched Storyteller of the Year, while Izzi Boye (@izziboye) was named Education Creator of the Year.
Other Nigerian winners included Belove Olocha (@beloveolocha) for Entertainment Creator of the Year, Dejoke Ogunbiyi (@noositiwantiwa_) for Social Impact Creator of the Year, and Crown Uzama, popularly known as Shallipopi (@theycallmeshallipopipp), who took home Artist of the Year.
Shallipopi, whose hit track “Laho” dominated African soundwaves in 2025, thanked TikTok for supporting upcoming artists and providing a platform to shine. “When Nigeria creates, the world moves,” he told fans during his acceptance speech.
TikTok’s Head of Content Operations for Sub-Saharan Africa, Boniswa Sidwaba, praised the winners, noting that Nigerian creators had redefined what it means to be a digital storyteller. “Tonight’s ceremony was a gathering of trailblazers who turned short video clips into cultural movements,” she said.
Other winners from across the continent included Tanzania’s Fanuel John Masamaki (@zerobrainer0), who won Video of the Year, Kenya’s @tunero_animations as Rising Star of the Year, South Africa’s @malumfoodie for Food Creator of the Year, and Kenya’s @zozasportscast for Sports Creator of the Year.
The ceremony, supported by brands such as NIVEA, Coca-Cola, PEP, inDrive and Dis-Chem, will be broadcast exclusively on TikTok LIVE on Dec. 11 at 19:00 WAT via the @tiktok.africa account.
MTN Nigeria has announced the winners of the 2025 Nigeria PachiPanda Challenge, a national innovation programme delivered in partnership with Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) through its local partner, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Nigeria.
L – R: Promise Ogochukwu, OneGrid Energies; Emmanuel Ezea, OneGrid Energies, Lantana Elhassan, Head of Exploration, Accelerator Lab, UNDP Nigeria; Valentine Nnamani, OneGrid Energies; trio winner of the MTN 2025 Pachipanda Challenge, held at MTN RoofTop Plaza, Ikoyi.
The competition attracted over 2000 applications from young innovators across the country and concluded with a 3-day sprint event that featured masterclasses and pitch presentations at the MTN Rooftop Event Centre, Falomo, Ikoyi, Lagos. Ten finalists, comprising seven individuals and three teams, competed for top honours following a rigorous multi-stage screening process.
Team OneGrid Energies emerged overall winner for its solution that addresses energy access in underserved communities. The team of Emmanuel Ezea, Ogochukwu Ogene, and Valentine Nnamani upcycle plastic bottles and e-waste lithium ion batteries to create affordable lanterns for households without reliable electricity. The team also introduced smart solar-powered charging stations operated by rural women, creating economic opportunities and supporting environmental impact.
Joshua Ndaman secured second place with his innovative solution, BuyScrap, a tech-driven platform that streamlines the collection and recycling of electronic waste. By ensuring that discarded electronics are ethically reused and repurposed, BuyScrap supports a circular economy and provides a reliable link between households and processors in the e-waste value chain.
Divine Peter secured third place with HopeForge Engineering, an initiative that designs and produces affordable recycling equipment for green businesses using recyclable materials. His focus on automating traditional manual equipment aims to increase productivity and make sustainable tools more accessible for small and medium-sized enterpriOlayinkases.
The winners received ₦3,000,000, ₦2,000,000, and ₦1,500,000 respectively. They will now represent Nigeria at the Africa PachiPanda Challenge where they will compete against champions from across the continent.
Tobe Okigbo, Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer at MTN Nigeria, emphasised the importance of youth-led innovation in advancing climate action and community resilience. “Innovation should go beyond solving problems; it should be bankable and sustainable, ensuring long-term value for both society and the innovators themselves,” he noted.
Dr. Joseph Onoja, Director-General of NCF, praised the creativity of the finalists, stating, “Every finalist here is a winner, and we will continue to work with partners like MTN, UNDP, and WWF to nurture these ideas and build a better future for Nigeria.”
Representing UNDP Nigeria, Lantana Elhassan, Head of Exploration, Accelerator Lab, described the potential of the finalists’ solutions to inspire systemic change across Africa’s innovation landscape. She highlighted the role of tech tools in helping participants improve their prototypes and scale their solutions.
During the event week, finalists received tailored training through masterclass sessions that enhance their business skills and strengthened their solutions. Facilitators included Bankole Oloruntoba, CEO, Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre (NCIC); Chinwe Udo-Davis, Founder & CEO, Instollar; Nifemi Oluboyede, Chief Product Officer, Credit Direct; and Uche Aniche, Founder, Rebel Seed Capital & Convener, Startup South.
Judges comprised experts in sustainability and innovation including Dr. Tiwalade Adeniyi, Head of ESG, Solon; Dr. William Tsuma, Chief Innovation Officer, UNDP Nigeria; Maximus Ugwuoke, Country Director, Carbon Craft Africa; Peju Ibekwe, CEO, Sterling One Foundation; Temitope Okunnu, Founder, Fabe International; and Yewande Adeyi, Senior Manager, ESG Advisory Services, KPMG West Africa.
The Africa-wide finals will bring together leading innovators from across the continent to showcase their work to industry experts and investors.
For more information and updates on the winners’ journey, visit https://www.mtn.ng/sustainability or contact [email protected]
FG, SEC, NGX Group Agree on Capital Gains Tax Reform
Airtel Africa Foundation Celebrates International Volunteer Day, Honours Employee Volunteers
Report Reveals Half of 2025’s Compromised Passwords were Already Leaked
EFCC Arik Case: Witness Testifies on Receiver Manager Nominee’s Role in NG Eagle Shareholding
Nigeria Dominates 2025 TikTok Sub-Saharan Africa Awards with Six Wins
Kaspersky Introduces Cyber Pathways to Support Career Development in Cybersecurity
NITDA DG Tasks Youths to Drive Africa’s Digital Transformation
Firm Urges Organizations to Check Protection of their Websites Amid Search Engine Optimisation Attack Schemes
Hackers Breach Phones of Dangote and Otedola, Demand Ransom
FCCPC Sets Deadline for Digital Lending Regulatory Compliance
Telecom2 days agoNigeria Lacks AI-Ready Data Centres, Trails in Capacity – Nnamani
General News2 days agoNiDCOM Launches Diaspora Startup Challenge to Boost Nigerian Talent
E-Financial2 days agoCAC to Shut Down Unregistered PoS Operators by January 2026
Telecom2 days agoAnambra Leads Southeast in Digital Governance Under Soludo’s ICT Agenda
News1 day agoLagos Launches Tele-Vet, Nigeria’s First Veterinary Call Centre
General News2 days agoOptimus AI LABS CEO Showcases AI Breakthroughs in Nigeria’s Financial Sector
General News2 days agoPromoPrint Rekindles Nigerian Resilience @ 25th Anniversary
Telecom13 hours agoNigeria Dominates 2025 TikTok Sub-Saharan Africa Awards with Six Wins