From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
In an effort to improve the nation’s cybersecurity framework and enhance internet service delivery, Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, said that the government has initiated the transition from Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) to Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) in Nigeria.
The IPv6 is the latest version of the Internet Protocol, which provides an identification and location system for computers on networks and routes traffic across the Internet.
Tijani made this known at the IPv6 Driven Digital Infrastructure Summit, titled “Bring Net 5.5G into Reality, Inspire New Growth,” held in Abuja on Tuesday.
He stated that the shift to IPv6 would bring numerous advantages, including improved service quality, heightened security against cyber threats, and more efficient management of internet traffic.
Tijani noted that while many countries are still transitioning, Nigeria has emerged as one of the first African nations to fully adopt this advanced protocol.
He praised the efforts of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and its partners for the achievement and expressed optimism that more Nigerian companies will adopt IPv6. He urged all critical service providers in the digital economy to make the transition a standard practice.
“This is the standard used globally, but only a few countries are on the latest version. Countries like the US, France, Saudi Arabia, and UAE are on IPv6. Most countries are still catching up. Nigeria is now one of the first countries in Africa to migrate from IPv4 to IPv6, which means your providers can offer better services, ensure their systems are not easily hackable, and make sure the services they provide are always available by identifying where the traffic is coming from. These are the technicalities of how systems get hacked,” he stated.
Also speaking, NITDA DG, Mr Kashifu Inuwa explained that the summit aimed to deepen growth and innovation that could unlock the potentials of the Digital Economy and create awareness about IPV6, foster collaboration among stakeholders and design actionable roadmap that can promote IPV6 adoption in Nigeria.
Inuwa further noted that transitioning to IPv6 does not necessitate a significant investment in new devices, as most modern devices are already compatible with the protocol.
He said the primary challenge lies in achieving backward compatibility, as IPv4 devices cannot communicate with IPv6 devices.
The DG said that the key barriers to adoption are often strategic and operational, rather than technical, stating that operators are reluctant to migrate due to the extensive configuration changes required.
He however, highlighted the potential economic benefits of IPv6 adoption, citing research by Berger IPv6 Development that estimates a $10 trillion global market could be unlocked by embracing this technology.
“What we need is strategy and policy direction because sometimes operators do not like migrating since it requires them to change a lot of configurations.
“In most cases, it is not even about devices, but doing that will open up new markets for us. Considering our population in Nigeria, we can create a lot of opportunities from this. It will also help us address our cybersecurity challenges because, on average, every person in Africa has 1.5 devices. Most of us have more than two devices. For example, I have two mobile phones, a smartwatch, laptops, and other devices connected to the internet. But because of the scarcity of IPv6, all these devices are masked, meaning they cannot be directly identified. However, with IPv6, every person in the world can have billions of IP devices available for use. This will help address our cybersecurity challenges.
He added that, “This paper is just to spark the conversation and awareness so people can embrace IPv6. As a nation, we should have a broad market and strategy to migrate from IPv4 to IPv6. This migration can lead to great economic activities and ensure the security of our cyberspace.”