80% of .ng domains are hosted abroad, exposing Nigeria’s digital dependence

Nigeria’s ambition to become Africa’s leading digital economy is facing a major obstacle, with industry experts revealing that about 80 percent of websites using the country’s .ng domain are hosted outside its borders.

The disclosure was made during the BGP Peering Workshop 2026 organised by the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) and TeleAfrica Communications Limited in Abuja, where stakeholders warned that the country’s heavy reliance on foreign hosting infrastructure poses significant risks to its digital sovereignty, economic growth and cybersecurity.

Data presented at the workshop showed that Nigeria hosts only 22 percent of its top 1,000 most-accessed websites locally, far below the African average of 34 percent. The figures underscore the country’s continued dependence on overseas data centres despite its status as one of Africa’s largest digital markets.

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Speaking at the event, Muhammed Rudman, managing director of IXPN, described the situation as a critical challenge that must be addressed if Nigeria is to fully harness the benefits of its growing digital economy.

According to him, keeping internet traffic and digital content within the country is essential for improving network performance, reducing costs, enhancing security and strengthening local technology ecosystems.

“By keeping local traffic local, IXPN is building the foundation for a faster, more connected and sovereign Nigeria,” Rudman said.

He noted that local hosting reduces latency, lowers operational costs for businesses and improves the overall user experience for internet users. More importantly, he said, it ensures that critical national data remains within Nigeria’s control rather than being stored and processed in foreign jurisdictions.

The workshop also highlighted other structural weaknesses in Nigeria’s internet infrastructure. One of the most concerning findings is that 15 states currently do not have a single independent network, limiting access to reliable connectivity and slowing digital inclusion efforts.

In addition, Nigeria records only one Autonomous System Number (ASN) per one million people, significantly behind countries such as South Africa, which has 13 ASNs per million people, and Brazil, with 43.

Industry experts explained that ASNs are a critical component of internet infrastructure because they allow networks to independently manage and route internet traffic. A low ASN density often reflects limited network diversity and resilience.

To address these gaps, Rudman outlined plans to expand digital infrastructure across underserved regions, deploy advanced equipment capable of supporting multi-terabit traffic through 400G ports and attract global and regional content providers to host more services within Nigeria.

“Our vision remains to solidify Nigeria’s position as the premier digital powerhouse for Africa,” he said.

Also speaking at the workshop, Ikechukwu Nnamani, chairman of TeleAfrica Communications, stressed the importance of strong interconnectivity infrastructure in building a resilient digital economy.

Nnamani said TeleAfrica’s Abuja-based ABV1 data centre plays a strategic role in connecting telecommunications traffic between northern and southern Nigeria, helping to ensure more balanced distribution of digital services nationwide.

He also highlighted the company’s clearinghouse infrastructure, which facilitates voice, data and video interconnection across multiple operators.

Beyond connectivity, Nnamani noted that TeleAfrica’s model addresses one of the long-standing challenges in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector by providing transparent financial settlement and reconciliation for interconnect traffic.

“While most interconnect operators focus only on the transiting of calls, TeleAfrica’s model offers full financial settlement and reconciliation of interconnect traffic. This will greatly eliminate interconnect indebtedness in the industry and lead to accurate and timely processing of interconnect charges through a robust, transparent billing infrastructure,” he said.

The second day of the workshop focused on technical training for network engineers and operators, covering Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), the technology that directs internet traffic across global networks.

Participants received practical training on autonomous systems, routing policies, traffic engineering and network optimization techniques aimed at improving internet performance and resilience.

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For many participants, the workshop represented a crucial step towards building local expertise needed to strengthen Nigeria’s internet infrastructure.

Chukwudi Philip, an IT specialist and network engineer representing IMBIL Telecom Solutions, said the training offered valuable insights into how routing policies can improve network stability and scalability.

“The technical depth of the BGP session reinforced the critical role routing policies play in ensuring efficient internet connectivity, scalability and network stability,” he said.

As Nigeria pushes to expand its digital economy, experts at the workshop agreed that reversing the country’s dependence on foreign hosting infrastructure will be essential to unlocking greater economic value, improving national security and positioning the country as a leading technology hub in Africa.