Nigeria has made a significant stride in strengthening its digital infrastructure, with between 60% and 70% of internet traffic now being exchanged within the country, according to the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN).
The shift marks a major turnaround from the early days of the internet in the country, when almost all data from Nigerian users was routed abroad before returning to local destinations.
IXPN Chief Executive Officer Mohammed Rudman announced the progress during a media capacity-building session on Nigeria’s digital infrastructure economy held in Lagos.
He explained that keeping traffic local a process known as internet traffic domestication means that activities such as browsing websites, streaming content, sending emails, or using mobile apps now often occur without the data leaving Nigeria.
The benefits are tangible: faster internet speeds, lower latency, and reduced costs for service providers and end-users, since less reliance on expensive international bandwidth is required.
This also enhances Nigeria’s resilience and efficiency in the digital space.
Analysts and industry insiders note that this domestication is largely driven by major global platforms including Google, Meta, TikTok, Microsoft and Amazon connecting their networks locally through IXPN, which helps keep traffic inside national borders.
Despite this progress, challenges remain. Local hosting of popular Nigerian content is still limited, and many local websites are still hosted offshore, reducing the full economic value of Nigeria’s internet traffic.
Industry leaders are advocating for stronger content localisation, increased technical training such as IPv6 adoption, and greater capacity building to help more networks directly exchange traffic within Nigeria.
Experts also emphasise the importance of expanding the number of Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs) which allow networks to operate independently to further diversify and strengthen Nigeria’s internet ecosystem.
Efforts are underway to onboard at least 100 new ASNs this year to expand local interconnection and improve competition.
This milestone positions Nigeria as a leading hub for internet infrastructure development in West Africa and reflects years of investment in local digital capacity laying foundations for faster, more affordable, and more resilient internet services nationwide.
Image Credit: Nairametrics
Source: Nairametrics
