Opening Of the Validation Workshop of the Draft Final Report of the Feasibility Study of an ECOWAS Regional Internet Exchange Point (RIXP)

The ECOWAS Project Preparation and Development Unit (PPDU) and the ECOWAS Directorate for the Digital Economy and Postal Services convened experts from ECOWAS Member States and their technical and financial partners from 14 to 16 April 2025 in Accra, Ghana, to analyse the draft final report of the study on the establishment of an ECOWAS Regional Internet Exchange Point (RIXP).

Through this project, ECOWAS aims to:

• promote efficient Internet traffic exchange through the creation or promotion of one or more regional IXPs to facilitate the exchange of Internet traffic within the region, thereby reducing the need to route data through international networks;

• support regional digital projects by encouraging the crucial role that RIXPs must play in the success of various regional digital economy initiatives such as affordable regional mobile roaming, the operationalization of the regional customs network (ALISA project) and the ECOWAS e-commerce strategy; and,

• strengthen existing IXPs and create new ones through the cascade development of existing national IXPs and new IXPs in Member States where they do not yet exist, thereby contributing to a more interconnected and resilient regional Internet infrastructure.

The welcome speech was delivered, on behalf of Mr. DOUKA SEDIKO, ECOWAS Commissioner in charge of Infrastructure, Energy and Digitalization, by Mrs. FOLAKE OLAGUNJU, Acting Director of Digital Economy and Post.

The work was opened on Monday, April 14, 2025, by Mr. Emmanuel Ofori, Director of Innovations representing Honourable Samuel George, The Minister of Communication, Digital Technologies and Innovations of the Republic of Ghana.