NCC Launches Nigeria IPv6 Council to Strengthen National Digital Infrastructure.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has inaugurated the Nigeria IPv6 Council to accelerate the country’s transition to next-generation internet infrastructure.

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In his inaugural address, the Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the NCC, Aminu Maida, described the move as a major milestone in Nigeria’s digital evolution and a clear signal of its readiness to compete in the global digital space.

The Council, a national chapter of the IPv6 Forum, is tasked with driving awareness, coordination, and deployment of IPv6 across the country.

However, adoption remains low. Data from the Asia-Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC) in 2026 puts Nigeria’s IPv6 usage at about 5 percent, far below leading economies with adoption rates exceeding 40 percent.

Maida noted that the exhaustion of IPv4 addresses, coupled with the rise of technologies such as 5G, IoT, cloud computing, and AI, makes IPv6 adoption critical for national security, innovation, and economic growth.

He added that meaningful progress will depend on strong collaboration among government, telecom operators, academia, and the private sector.

He also highlighted ongoing efforts by the NCC, including a Memorandum of Understanding with the African Network Information Centre to strengthen technical capacity across sectors.

According to him, the Council will drive the implementation of a National IPv6 Deployment Strategy aimed at significantly increasing Nigeria’s adoption rate within the next three years.

The Council is also expected to lead public awareness campaigns and deepen collaboration with international partners to align Nigeria with global best practices.

Maida urged stakeholders to prioritize IPv6 deployment across their networks and platforms, stressing that investments made today will shape the country’s future digital competitiveness.

He expressed confidence that the Council’s work will deliver a more secure, connected, and globally competitive digital ecosystem for Nigeria.

Chairman of the Nigeria IPv6 Council, Muhammed Rudman, emphasized that the exhaustion of IPv4 addresses remains a major constraint on the growth of IoT, 5G, and AI, making migration to IPv6 increasingly urgent.

He warned that continued reliance on IPv4, supported by Network Address Translation (NAT), limits security, performance, and innovation, and urged service providers to transition to avoid falling behind in the global digital economy.

Highlights of the event included a media chat with the EVC and a question-and-answer session.