NITDA Trains Government Officials For Nigeria’s Transition To Next Generation Internet Protocol

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has commenced training for government officials to accelerate Nigeria’s transition to Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), a move aimed at strengthening digital infrastructure and improving public service delivery.

The training, organised in collaboration with the Nigeria IPv6 Council and the African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC), is designed for management and technical personnel of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

Speaking at the opening of the IPv6 migration readiness workshop in Abuja, NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, stressed the need for institutional commitment to ensure a successful transition from the existing Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) to IPv6.

His remarks were delivered by the Director of NITDA’s Digital Development Services Department, Oladejo Olawumi.

Inuwa said the programme was structured into two streams, with one designed to familiarise directors and senior management officials with the migration process and their responsibilities, while the other focuses on equipping technical personnel with the skills required to implement the transition.

He explained that management support would be critical to the success of the migration, noting that technical teams needed the understanding and backing of their supervisors to implement the process effectively.

“Without having you on board, we cannot have a proper transition. That is why we are having this training to make sure that you have the skills and you are certified,” he said.

The NITDA chief congratulated the participants as the first group of MDA officials to undergo the training, urging them to support the agency’s efforts to modernise Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.

He said the migration had become necessary as the number of internet-connected devices and digital services continued to increase, placing greater demands on existing internet addressing systems.

IPv4, the older internet protocol, supports approximately 4.3 billion unique addresses. However, the rapid expansion of internet-connected devices, including smartphones, security cameras, smart televisions and other Internet of Things devices, has increased the need for additional addresses.

IPv6 provides a significantly larger pool of internet addresses, offering greater capacity to accommodate expanding connectivity and the growing use of digital platforms.

Inuwa linked the initiative to the Federal Government’s broader digital transformation agenda, including efforts to expand online public services and strengthen the National Sovereign Cloud Initiative.

According to him, adopting IPv6 would provide government institutions with the capacity to scale their digital platforms as more Nigerians embrace online services.

He added that stronger digital infrastructure could reduce the need for citizens to visit government offices physically by enabling more services to be delivered through digital channels.

Beyond institutional benefits, Inuwa encouraged participating directors to motivate their technical teams to take full advantage of the training, describing the programme as an opportunity to build professional expertise in networking and digital infrastructure.

He disclosed that NITDA was funding certification for participating technical personnel, who were expected to sit for examinations at the end of the training.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Nigeria IPv6 Council and Chief Executive Officer of the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), Mohamed Rudman, who is also the lead facilitator, welcomed the partnership with NITDA.

Rudman described the initiative as an important step towards promoting IPv6 adoption across government institutions and urged participants to engage actively with the trainers.

He said the knowledge acquired would help the officials prepare their respective organisations for the migration.

The initiative underscores the importance of combining management commitment with technical capacity to accelerate IPv6 adoption and establish a more scalable digital foundation for Nigeria’s public services.