The acceptance by Google to connect with Internet eXchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) in 2011, gave boost to the rapid growth rate of domestic internet traffic in Nigeria, the CEO of IXPN, Muhammed Rudman has said.
Rudman who gave the information in Lagos, while announcing the 1Terabit per second domestic internet traffic milestone achieved in Nigeria, said as at the inception of IXPN in 2007, the domestic internet traffic attained was very minimal. He however said Google became the game-changer when it connected to IXPN in 2011, and the growth rate of domestic internet traffic jumped from less than 20 Megabits per second to 120 megabits per second, before reaching 1Tbps within a space of four years.
According to Rudman, “Google peered with IXPN in 2011, and the internet traffic jumped from less than 20 Megabits per second to 120 Megabits per second, and by 2012, the traffic has increased to 600 Megabits per second. In 2019, internet traffic further increased to 125 Gigabits per second. In 2021, it reached 250 Gigabits per second, and by December 2024, internet traffic in Nigeria reached 900 Gigabits per second. As at last month, it reached a major milestone of 1 Terabit per second.”
Rudman explained that before Google connected to IXPN, as a global content provider, domesticated internet traffic was at its lowest ebb. He however said as soon as Google connected to IXPN, other international content providers and access providers, operating in Nigeria, including local content and access providers, also connected to IXPN, a development, he said, gave boost to the rapid growth of domestic internet traffic in Nigeria.
Currently, IXPN has over 130 interconnected active members. This includes industry giants such as Google, Meta (Facebook), Microsoft, TikTok, Amazon, and all Nigerian Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), among others.
Speaking about the economic impact in domesticating local traffic, Rudman said: “In terms of economic impact, apart from the internet banking and other things that we take advantage of, we don’t really benefit much because the traffic is more of download than upload. So with what we are doing, the objective is to ensure that at least 80 per cent of our traffic is domesticated.”
While announcing the latest milestone achieved in Nigeria’s domestic internet traffic, Rudman, said the milestone signified a major leap forward in developing Nigeria’s internet infrastructure and underscores the critical role of local internet infrastructure in driving economic growth, innovation, and connectivity for millions of Nigerians.
“The milestone is more than just a number. It’s a symbol of Nigeria’s digital maturity and our united strides towards becoming a tech-driven nation. By keeping local internet traffic within Nigeria, we reduce costs, improve speeds, and ensure our digital economy thrives with homegrown infrastructure. Achieving 1 Tbps is a significant victory for Nigeria’s ICT ecosystem, a breakthrough for domestic internet traffic. It serves as a catalyst, enabling millions of Nigerians to enjoy faster, more affordable and resilient internet connectivity. The milestone is a game-changer for Africa’s most populous country,” Rudman said.
According to him, for mega video calls, the speed of 1 Tbps can support over one million concurrent Zoom calls, allowing students, entrepreneurs, and professionals to connect and drive Nigeria’s digital revolution, adding that with 1 Tbps, more than 200,000 people can stream HD Nollywood films or movies on Netflix simultaneously without any buffering or interruptions. Rudman further explained that the speed would enable the transfer of the entire contents of 50,000
Smartphones, including photos, apps, and videos, in just one second.
“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. The milestone is a testament to the power of collaboration, innovation, and the relentless pursuit of a faster, more connected Nigeria,” Rudman further said.
