• AFRINIC’s new election rules impose stringent verification requirements that could disenfranchise legitimate members
  • The changes follow years of governance failures that have compromised Africa’s IP resource management

Another blow to AFRINIC’s credibility

The African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC) has introduced contentious changes to its 2025 election onboarding process that critics argue will exacerbate existing governance problems. The new requirements mandate extensive documentation for member verification – a move ostensibly to prevent fraud, but which technical experts warn could effectively silence legitimate voices in the already dysfunctional organisation.

These changes come after AFRINIC’s 2023 election debacle, where the board annulled results over a single disputed proxy vote, discarding thousands of legitimate ballots. “This is governance by obstruction,” alleges networking expert Amara Nwosu. “They’re creating solutions to problems that don’t exist while ignoring the real crisis of confidence.”

Also read: Cloud Innovation supports ICANN’s move to derecognise AFRINIC, calls for successor to be immediately identified
Also read: Who is Eddy Kayihura? The scandalous past of AFRINIC’s former CEO

Deepening Africa’s internet governance crisis

These reforms represent more than administrative tweaks – they’re the latest symptom of AFRINIC’s institutional decay. By making participation prohibitively difficult, the changes effectively consolidate power among a shrinking circle of insiders, further undermining the bottom-up governance principles that should guide regional internet registries.

Cloud Innovation Ltd., AFRINIC’s third-largest member, has condemned the measures as “another desperate power grab by a failed institution.” Their legal team notes the timing coincides with ICANN’s controversial ICP-2 compliance push, which many see as external interference in African internet governance.

With Africa’s internet growth at stake, these developments suggest AFRINIC has become incapable of self-reform. As one board insider privately admitted: “We’re not fixing problems – we’re just creating new hoops to avoid accountability.”