By: Nana Appiah
Acquaye
Ghana
has been pre-selected to host an ICANN-funded IPv6 Deployment Test Bed for
ECOWAS Anglophone countries, marking a significant step in the country’s
efforts to advance next-generation internet infrastructure across the
sub-region.
The initiative is being implemented by the Ghana
Domain Name Registry (GDNR) in collaboration with the National Communications
Authority (NCA), with support from the National Information Technology Agency
(NITA) and the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT (GI-KACE),
under the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations and the
auspices of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU).
IPv6 is widely regarded as the future
of internet protocol, offering expanded address capacity to support emerging
technologies such as the Internet of Things and smart city systems, while also
improving network resilience and security. The project seeks to accelerate
regional adoption, with targets set between 20 percent and 50 percent IPv6
uptake across participating countries.
As part of the selection process, a
joint delegation from ICANN and the ATU conducted a working visit to the Ghana
Domain Name Registry and the National Data Centre to assess technical readiness
and infrastructure capacity. The visit was described as a strong endorsement of
Ghana’s preparedness to host the initiative.
The delegation included ICANN Vice
President for Africa Pierre Dandjinou, African Telecommunications Union
Secretary-General John Omo, and ATU Director of Standardization Isaac Boateng.
GDNR leadership also engaged with the
visiting team, including Executive Director Wisdom Kwasi Donkor, Director of
Policy and Compliance Kwaku Antwi, and Technical Head Francis Acquah Amaning.
Stakeholders noted that the project
moves beyond policy dialogue into practical implementation, with an emphasis on
measurable outcomes and the development of a scalable model that can be
replicated across other ECOWAS states.
With the
selection, Ghana is positioning itself as a regional hub for IPv6 deployment
and digital infrastructure innovation, reinforcing its role in advancing secure
and future-ready internet connectivity across West Africa.
