Joy Agwunobi
The Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) has set a target of achieving one terabyte of internet traffic by the end of 2024. In recent years, the IXPN has experienced tremendous growth, with its traffic increasing from 300 Gigabits per second (Gbps) in 2022 to 500 Gbps in 2023.
Muhammad Rudman, CEO of IXPN, has credited this growth to the increasing number of content providers, both local and global, who are now exchanging traffic through the exchange point.
Rudman disclosed that the company has over 120 connected members, including global content providers like Amazon, Netflix, Microsoft, Google, and Meta, as well as all mobile network operators, internet service providers, and other network operators in Nigeria. In addition, Rudman noted that the company’s peak traffic has surpassed 500 Gbps, thanks to its robust infrastructure and a track record of high uptime.
According to a report by the Internet Society, IXPN’s port charge in early 2020 was $0.428 per month per Mbps for a 1 Gbps port, while the cost of international IP transit was $27.45 per Mbps per month for the same capacity. This means that it is approximately $27 less expensive per Mbps per month to access content locally at IXPN than to access it abroad. In 2020, this translated to a savings of over $40 million per year.
According to Muhammad Rudman, the cost savings have allowed ISPs to expand their businesses and allowed new ISPs to enter the market, resulting in an overall increase in local internet traffic. He further explained that keeping internet traffic within Nigeria helps to conserve foreign exchange and benefits the country’s economy, especially during times of currency crisis. “We believe that hosting content locally is the best way to grow capacity and technical competence in Nigeria, creating more jobs and boosting the economy,” he said.
IXPN currently operates numerous exchange points within Nigeria, making its services easily accessible and allowing local service providers to save costs through peering. This reflects its commitment to delivering high-quality, highly available services.
