Total Project Cost
Investment Required
Stakeholders
Countries
Project Overview
Description
Establishment of a regional internet exchange point (RIXP) for public peering within West Africa region. Completing feasibility studies with strong regional coordination is proceeding well. The project is to set up a regional Internet Exchange Point (RIXP) enabling intra-ECOWAS traffic to be exchanged by public peering—thereby avoiding external transit hubs—and to interconnect existing national IXPs to create a regional hub for digital services.
Objectives
Project Objectives: Ensure regional traffic routing efficiency, Reduce external transit dependency, Increase efficiency, Improve user experience, Reduce transit costs, Enable local content development, Support digital economy, Enhance regional integration
Strategic Importance
Strategic for regional internet infrastructure optimization and cost reduction
Technical Specifications
Technology & Design
Regional Internet Exchange Point infrastructure with modern peering facilities
Capacity & Size
Regional IXP with distributed peering points
Technical Details
IXP technical specifications for regional peering, Modern switching infrastructure, Redundant connectivity
Development, Implementation & Financial Details
Development Timeline
Advanced from enabling environment (2020) to feasibility stage with regional coordination improving
Latest Implementation Updates
UPDATEDecowas.int
24–25 October 2024: Experts from ECOWAS member states and partners convened in Lagos, Nigeria, to review the interim feasibility-study report.
Modern Ghana
Apr 2025: Draft final report validated in Accra, with recommendations for:
Regulatory harmonization across ECOWAS member states
Technical design refinements (redundant peering, capacity targets)
Funding models leveraging regional ISPs and service-provider partnerships
14–16 April 2025: A validation workshop for the draft final report of the RIXP feasibility study was held in Accra, Ghana, under the aegis of ECOWAS PPDU and the Directorate for Digital Economy & Postal Services. - https://ecoroads.com/news/opening-of-the-validation-workshop-of-the-draft-final-report-of-the-feasibility-study-of-an-ecowas-regional-internet-exchange-point-rixp/
2025-04-14 — ECOWAS PPDU & the Directorate for Digital Economy opened a 3-day validation workshop in Accra (Apr 14–16) to finalise the Regional IXP feasibility study and roadmap; goal is to localise traffic and cut latency/costs across West Africa. [https://www.newsghana.com.gh/ecowas-moves-closer-to-regional-internet-exchange-point-with-accra-workshop/]
2025-04-16 — Workshop concluded with emphasis on cascading regional–national IXP strengthening and support to roaming, customs (ALISA) and e-commerce initiatives. [https://ecoroads.com/news/opening-of-the-validation-workshop-of-the-draft-final-report-of-the-feasibility-study-of-an-ecowas-regional-internet-exchange-point-rixp/]
Financing Structure
Service provider financing with regional coordination support
Project Timeline
Development Timeline
Advanced from enabling environment (2020) to feasibility stage with regional coordination improving
Project Status History
Status 2020
Initial Assessment
Status 2022
Initial Assessment
Status 2024
Feasibility
Additional Project Details
Construction Timeline
Technical planning phase completed
Legal & Financial Advisors
Not Available
Market Analysis
Market Analysis
Strong demand for regional traffic optimization
Market Demand
ECOWAS member states telecommunications providers and users
Key Stakeholders
Project Sponsor
ECOWAS Commission
Key Parties
ECOWAS Commission, National ICT Authorities
Investors
Service providers
Contractors & Operators
Not Available
Risk Assessment
General Risk Assessment
Technical implementation complexity, Operational coordination across multiple countries
Regulatory Risks
Regional framework coordination and regulatory alignment needed
Impact Assessment
Environmental Impact
Minimal environmental impact with standard data center considerations
Social Impact
Improves regional connectivity efficiency and reduces costs for users
Investment Opportunities
Private Sector Opportunities
Significant service provider investment opportunities in peering and content delivery
Next Steps & Agreements
Next Steps
Complete feasibility studies and advance to structuring phase
Offtake Agreements
Not Available
Contact Information
Not Available
