Nigeria has mapped out plans to migrate to the Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPV6), the global standard protocol for more effective internet services to boost digital business, enhance cyber security and increase productivity within the country’s digital economy.
This was the focus of IPV6-driven Digital Economy Infrastructure Summit tagged “Bring Net 5.5G into reality , Inspire New Growth ,” organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency(NITDA) which drew stakeholders from across the broad spectrum of the digital economy sector in Abuja on Tuesday.
The summit aimed to deepen growth and innovation that could unlock the potential of the digital economy and create awareness about IPV6, foster collaboration among stakeholders and design actionable roadmap that can promote IPV6 adoption in Nigeria.
IPV6 is the most recent version of the Internet Protocol, the communications protocol that provides an identification and location system for computers on networks and routes traffic across the Internet. So far only a few countries such as the US, France, Saudi Arabia and UAE are on the latest version.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani in his keynote address during the summit, said that Nigeria decided to migrate to the IPV6 from the IPV4 to make communications better.
He noted that the IPV6 will enhance Nigeria’s digitalization agenda as espoused by the Government of President Bola Tinubu to diversify the Nigeria economy and raise the level of productivity across key sectors of the nation’s economy.
“Nigeria is one of the first countries in Africa to migrate from IPV4 to IPV6 which means providers can offer better services to ensure that the systems are not easily hacked and services are readily available,” the minister said.
He added that the IPV6 is effective in tackling cyber security stressing that it improves the efficiency to track criminals because it controls the traffic. He added that the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) will benefit as Nigeria’s internet space will be secure and safe with the IPV6.
“Digital technology offers us unique opportunities by raising the level of productivity in this sector and deploying technological knowledge. We can apply what we already know to help us grow food and provide security of lives and property.
“This is necessary so as not to create opportunity for the world and leave our young people jobless, it is not enough to credit Nigeria as the largest internet network in Africa we must move beyond consumption into actual production. Nigeria should be exporting technology by opening up the market to create job opportunities,” he said.
The director general of NITDA Kashifu Inuwa told reporters in an interview that Nigeria needs strategy and policy direction to drive the process to open up new markets for its citizens.
He quoted a research work which said that the adoption of IPV6 will open $10 trillion market opportunities and judging by Nigeria’s population it can create a lot of activities in doing that.
“This summit is to spur conversation and awareness so that people can embrace the IPV6 and as a nation we should have a roadmap to migrate from IPV4 to IPV6 and that can also help in raising economic activities and for the security of our cyber space,” he said.
President of the IPV6 Forum, Latif Labid said Nigeria has the potential to benefit from the new phenomenon because of its creative youth population even as he urged stakeholders to uphold the global standard of the protocol.
Also speaking to reporters, Dr. Sylvester Okonkwo, Chief of Staff to the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, said the transition will open up opportunities to stimulate Nigeria’s digital economy. He noted that the migration will open up the exponential benefit of the digital economy that President Bola Tinubu has espoused.
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