• IXPN deploys inside Digital Realty’s Lagos carrier-neutral data centre facility.
  • West African networks gain lower-latency domestic routing and reduced transit costs.

What happened

A new Lagos-based IXP integrates IXPN into Digital Realty’s facility, expanding local interconnection and keeping more Nigerian traffic domestic.

Digital Realty has partnered with the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) to deploy a new IXP in Lagos, hosted within its data centre campus. The facility offers carrier-neutral interconnection for local and international networks.

The deployment enables networks, ISPs and content providers to interconnect locally, reducing the need to route traffic via international paths. IXPN said the initiative is designed to improve latency and network performance by keeping domestic traffic within Nigeria.

The move builds on IXPN’s position as the largest and most active IXP in West Africa, with over 100 connected networks exchanging traffic across its platform. Embedding the exchange within a carrier-neutral facility reflects a broader infrastructure trend, where IXPs are colocated with data centres to increase interconnection density.

Lagos continues to emerge as Nigeria’s primary digital infrastructure hub, supported by growing data centre investment and rising demand for cloud and content services.

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Why it’s important

This deployment strengthens West Africa’s local traffic exchange capability. By anchoring IXPN inside Digital Realty’s carrier-neutral facility, the project lowers barriers for networks to peer locally — reducing dependence on cross-border bandwidth and improving cost efficiency.

Strategically, the Lagos IXP reinforces Nigeria’s role as a regional interconnection hub, supporting traffic flows not just domestically but across neighbouring West African markets. As digital demand rises, such infrastructure will play a critical role in shaping regional data sovereignty, performance, and cloud adoption patterns.

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