To boost Internet operations and deepen economic growth and security, the Federal Government has revealed plans to migrate from Internet Protocol version four (IPv4) to Internet Protocol version (IPv6).
This was revealed at a one-day IPv6-Driven Digital Infrastructure summit organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in Abuja.
Themed, ‘Bringing Net 5.5G into Reality: Inspiring New Growth’, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, said IPv6 would also track internet transactions within the country.
At the event, which was in collaboration with Huawei, IPv6 Forum and IPv6 Council, Nigeria, Tijani said: “The IPV6 is the latest protocol responsible for ensuring that online transactions and activities allow authorities to identify users, both for security purposes and ensuring appropriate usage of the Internet space.
“This is the standard used globally but only a few countries like the U.S., France, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates are on IPv6; others are trying to catch up.”
The Minister disclosed that Nigeria is now one of the first countries in Africa to migrate from IPv4 to IPv6, which means network providers can offer better services and ensure their systems are not easily hacked.
Tijani also said that IPv6 would impact cyber security by unmasking cyber criminals who masquerade themselves to carry out their nefarious activities.
“IPv6 will improve the country’s capability to track traffic and ensure our citizens are safe,” Tijani said.
The Guardian checks showed that in terms of Internet Protocol (IP) resources, out of the global usage, Africa accounted for only 2.4 per cent of IPv4 and one per cent of IPv6 addresses.
Analysts noted in 2023 that 5G and the deliverables of Smart Cities might remain a hollow dream in Nigeria unless the Critical National Information Infrastructure and related network operators are urgently mandated to adopt the IPv6 and further move to an IPV6-only operational environment.
According to them, most of the nation’s digital transformation infrastructure still runs its operations on IPv4 and this is worrisome concerning its vulnerability and cybersecurity-related concerns.
At the Abuja forum, the Director-General of NITDA, Malam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullai, said that the investment needed to implement the IPv6 would be minimal as most of the devices already deployed by the country were IPv6 compatible.
Abdullai explained that the country would only require a strategy and clear policy to ensure that operators complied with migrating to the latest version.
According to him, the agency’s proposed white paper for the deployment and implementation of IPv6 seeks to open the discussions for broader contributions from industry stakeholders.
“This paper is just to spark the conversation and awareness so people can embrace IPv6.cAs 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,” the D-G said, adding that IPv6 would also open up new markets for the country.
Referencing research by Roland Berger, a global consultancy firm, Inuwa said that adopting IPv6 would open a $10 trillion market globally.
He noted that with the country’s high population and multiple devices, cyber security was a huge challenge, but the IPv6 could address it.
“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 and cannot be directly identified.
“With IPv6, every person in the world can have billions of Internet Protocol (IP) devices available for use and this will help address our cyber security challenges,” Inuwa said.
