The Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) said it has deployed new internet infrastructure designed to make websites load faster in Nigeria and strengthen the country’s resilience to cyber disruptions.
The Chief Executive Officer of IXPN, Muhammed Rudman, disclosed this while speaking during the 2026 Annual Members Engagement Forum in Lagos.
Rudman said the initiative includes the installation of key systems that allow internet service providers to resolve website addresses locally instead of relying on overseas servers.
A major component of the upgrade is a collaboration with the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA), which supplied hardware for an authoritative Domain Name System (DNS) server installed within IXPN’s network.
The server handles requests that translate website names into numerical addresses computers use to locate sites online.
What the IXPN CEO is saying
According to Rudman, the server now manages close to 1,000 requests per second and supports numerous global domain names such as .org, .info, .io, .asia, .apple, and .alibaba, among others.
- “CIRA reports that the node is handling close to 1,000 DNS responses per second, demonstrating strong usage and clear performance benefits for networks at the exchange,” Rudman said.
- “This deployment significantly enhances local DNS performance, reduces upstream dependence, and further positions IXPN as a key contributor to regional Internet resilience,” he added.
He explained that every time a user types a website address into a browser, a series of lookups occurs across multiple servers worldwide before the site loads.
By hosting key parts of this system locally, IXPN reduces the distance the request must travel, improving speed and reliability.
Rudman disclosed that the organisation has also signed a memorandum of understanding with Verisign to serve as a regional internet resolution site, enabling it to host primary DNS infrastructure for major global domains such as .com and .net locally.
He noted that installing these critical systems domestically offers several benefits, including faster access to websites and email services, improved protection against cyberattacks targeting core internet infrastructure, and stronger overall network stability.
According to him, the development positions Nigeria as a more advanced digital hub and reduces the risk of nationwide internet disruptions caused by outages or attacks affecting overseas infrastructure.
Flashback
In April last year, IXPN announced it crossed 1 Terabit per second (1Tbps) in peak domestic internet traffic for the first time, a landmark achievement that cements the country’s growing digital prowess.
According to the organization, by keeping local internet traffic within Nigeria, the country has reduced costs, improved speeds, and ensured its digital economy thrives with homegrown infrastructure.
- “For Nigeria, hitting this milestone means reducing reliance on international bandwidth, decreasing latency for local services, and strengthening our position as Africa’s digital heartbeat,” Rudman said at the time.
What you should know
IXPN is Nigeria’s largest Internet Exchange Point, a non-profit and membership-based organization serving as a critical hub for interconnection between ISPs, content networks, enterprises, and digital platforms.
- The idea of establishing the organization was conceived during the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in Tunisia in 2005.
- In February 2006, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) convened a stakeholders’ forum, which led to the setting up of an implementation committee chaired by nternet Service Providers Association (ISPAN)
- In March 2007, the NCC inaugurated aninterim board for the organization.
