AFRINIC at a crossroads: Can Africa’s internet custodian still deliver on its mission?

AFRINIC at a crossroads: Can Africa’s internet custodian still deliver on its mission? is profiled by BTW Media because public-source evidence links it to internet infrastructure, governance, operational dependencies, or market visibility.

• Internal governance disputes and legal battles have paralysed AFRINIC, raising doubts over its ability to support Africa’s digital growth.
• Critics argue that structural reforms and global oversight may be needed to restore trust in the RIR model across the Global.

Election collapse deepens AFRINIC’s crisis

The African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC), headquartered in Mauritius, is the Regional Internet Registry (RIR) responsible for managing IP address allocations across the African continent.

Since its establishment in 2005, it has been instrumental in distributing Internet Protocol (IP) resources to internet service providers, governments, and enterprises across Africa, thus playing a central role in the region’s digital development.

But that role is now under serious scrutiny. Since 2021, AFRINIC has been embroiled in a protracted legal and governance crisis. In June 2025, AFRINIC’s long-delayed board election, meant to stabilise its leadership, was abruptly annulled minutes before polls closed. A dispute over a single proxy vote meant the entire democratic process was discarded. Observers criticised the move as heavy-handed and warned it marked yet another low point in AFRINIC’s governance collapse.

Meanwhile, the organisation is still operating under court-appointed receivership, limiting its ability to make independent decisions. Key financial operations have stalled, and several member services, including IP dispute resolution and resource transfers, are backlogged.

Also read: Cloud Innovation calls for AFRINIC wind-up Also read: EXPOSED: The letter that reveals who was really benefitting from AFRINIC’s lawsuits

Why it’s important

AFRINIC’s dysfunction isn’t just a bureaucratic mess—it poses a fundamental risk to the operational resilience of Africa’s internet infrastructure. As one of five global RIRs (alongside ARIN, RIPE NCC, APNIC, and LACNIC), AFRINIC is expected to distribute IP addresses, maintain WHOIS records, and support policy development through a bottom-up, community-driven model.

Yet, these duties are now compromised.

Critics argue that AFRINIC’s model of bottom-up self-governance has been subverted by infighting, lack of transparency, and politicised decision-making. The annulled election—justified on procedural grounds—has triggered calls for external oversight or even intervention from ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers). However, ICANN has so far maintained a excessively stance, raising concerns about its willingness to enforce standards within the internet governance ecosystem.

Some African stakeholders now question whether the current RIR structure can serve the continent’s needs. As more countries expand their fibre backbones, roll out 5G, and rely on cloud infrastructure, the need for stable IP managementbecomes increasingly urgent.

Notably, digital rights activists are also raising the alarm. The Internet Society and other observers have warned that AFRINIC’s paralysis could stall critical connectivity projects in underserved areas. With Africa still facing a double digital divide—urban vs. rural and continent vs. rest of world—such delays have tangible human costs.

Could a future AFRINIC survive with reformed governance? Or is it time for Africa to consider new regional internet governance models, potentially through African Union-led frameworks or even decentralised blockchain registries?

Unless AFRINIC can regain operational credibility and restore stakeholder trust, it risks becoming irrelevant—leaving a vacuum in a continent that cannot afford internet chaos.