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Nigeria has set its sights on a major transition in its internet infrastructure, with plans to accelerate the adoption of Internet Protocol version 6, IPv6, as part of a broader effort to tap into an estimated $18 billion digital market.
The push was unveiled in Lagos yesterday during the inauguration of the Nigeria IPv6 Council by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, a move officials said is aimed at strengthening the country’s digital backbone and preparing it for future technologies.
Chairman of the council, Muhammed Rudman, expressed concern over the slow pace of migration from the older Internet Protocol version 4, IPv4, noting that adoption in Nigeria had stalled at about five percent over the past 13 years. This figure lags behind Africa’s average of six percent and the global level of about 40 percent.
IPv6, a 128-bit addressing system, is designed to replace IPv4 and it offers a far larger pool of unique internet addresses.
This capacity is considered essential for supporting the rapid growth of connected devices, including those used in the Internet of Things, as well as emerging technologies such as 5G and cloud services.
Rudman said the council had activated a coordinated national framework to drive adoption across sectors. The plan includes a dual-stack transition model, which allows both IPv4 and IPv6 to run simultaneously, alongside measures to improve network performance, enhance security and build technical capacity.
Under the roadmap, government networks are expected to reach 20 percent IPv6 adoption by 2027, while telecom operators are projected to attain 25 percent compliance within the same period. The target is to achieve 30 percent nationwide adoption by 2030.
He attributed the slow transition largely to weak demand, limited awareness and the continued global availability of IPv4. According to him, many users remain indifferent to the underlying technology as long as internet access is available, reducing the pressure on service providers to upgrade.
“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.
Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, described the transition as urgent, stressing that IPv6 had become central 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 shift, the NCC and the IPv6 Council have introduced a National IPv6 Implementation Strategy designed to accelerate deployment across public and private sectors.
Industry observers noted that continued reliance on IPv4, often extended through Network Address Translation, has slowed progress. While this workaround allows multiple users to share a single address, it can limit performance, complicate security and restrict innovation.
Technology expert, Chris Uwaje urged a rethink of Nigeria’s digital infrastructure, warning that dependence on outdated systems could hold back the country’s ambitions.
“We cannot continue to depend on outdated systems while the world is moving forward,” he said.
