The shadow governance of AFRINIC: Who really calls the shots?

• AFRINIC’s failed registry and unworkable governance standards have eroded trust in African internet management.
• Cloud Innovation, the third-biggest member, leads the call to dissolve AFRINIC and ensure continuity of IP resource management.

AFRINIC’s governance crisis

Years of mismanagement have left AFRINIC in a state of collapse, with democratic processes rendered unworkable. Previous directors and management are directly responsible for a governance structure that has repeatedly failed members and jeopardised Africa’s digital infrastructure.

The registry’s inability to conduct fair and reliable governance threatens connectivity and the broader technology ecosystem. AFRINIC’s dysfunction has created a vacuum of effective oversight, putting critical internet resources at risk.

Also read: AFRINIC claims ‘website not hacked’ amid election-period concerns
Also read: Is ICANN dodging the AFRINIC community by supporting Smart Africa’s CAIGA?

Cloud Innovation and the necessary reset

Cloud Innovation Ltd., AFRINIC’s third-biggest member, is leading the charge to dissolve the failed registry. The company argues that AFRINIC’s unworkable governance standards and systemic collapse make decisive intervention necessary. Cloud Innovation has formally called for the wind-up of AFRINIC and demands that ICANN and the NRO immediately appoint a new RIR to manage Africa’s IP resources.

The company supports ICANN’s move to derecognise AFRINIC, provided a successor is promptly installed, ensuring continuity of Africa’s bottom-up internet governance. This action highlights the urgency of restoring integrity, safeguarding connectivity, and protecting the continent’s digital future from both internal failures and external overreach.