Digitalization: IXPN Boss Rates Anambra ICT Agency High, Describes Awka As Fertile Ground For Localization Of Traffic

By Mmaduabuchi Onwumelu

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Internet eXchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), Mr Muhammed Rudmaotn, has showered encomiums on the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Anambra State ICT Agency, Mr Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata (CFA) and his team for what he said he (Mr Agbata) has been able to do so far in Anambra State in terms of awareness creation geared towards building of a stronger and durable internet infrastructure that will localized traffic in the state, even as he applauded the Executive Governor of Anambra State, Prof Chukwuma Soludo for creating the enabling environment for the Agency to thrive.

Mr Rudman who stated this in Awka during the One-Day Interactive With Internet Service Providers (ISPs) entitled “Anambra Connect: Bridging The Digital Divide”, organized by Anambra ICT Agency in conjunction with IXPN noted that he was impressed with the level commitments and dedication shown towards making Anambra State the digital hub of Southeast.

Commending the state for her upward leap in digitalization, Mr Rudman urged the Agency to work towards generating at least hree traffic

Speaking on the mission and vision of IXPN, the ICT guru said that it was about providing a national core internet infrastructure that facilitate internet operation in Nigeria and to localized traffic as well as reduced local internet routing cost.

The IXPN Supremo noted that he work towards becoming the leading IXP in Africa and to be the one stop peering point for service and content providers, emphasizing that their core values was to remain neutral and committed to the development of internet infrastructure in Nigeria and beyond and also work to promote inter-connectivity among our members by creating à mutual peering platform based on transparency and confidential.

Mr Rudman stated IXPN as a company was initiated by the Federal Government of Nigeria, through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) which he said provided the seed funding and that it was established in the year 2006 with the mandate of ensuring local internet traffic remains local and to provide a core national Internet infrastructure that facilitates internet operations in Nigeria.

‘IXPN currently operates seven Peering Loans across the country with four points of presence (POPs) in Lagos, two of these POPs are collocated within Tier3 data centres. Other active sites are in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano and Enugu,’ he explained.