Newsletter Febriuary 2026

Welcome to the first 2026 edition of our monthly publication, AFRINIC Community Pulse. This month, we delve into a steady expansion of our community, the strengthening of our governance structures, and the work underway to ensure the African Internet remains resilient, inclusive, and secure for all.

In February 2026, AFRINIC continued strengthening Africa’s Internet ecosystem by welcoming 10 new organisational members. The new members include 9 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and 1 financial institution from South Africa, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Senegal, Kenya, and Nigeria.

With these additions, AFRINIC’s membership has grown to 2,516 organisations from both the public and private sectors across the African region. These organisations rely on AFRINIC for the allocation and management of Internet number resources necessary to operate and expand their networks. The IP resources allocated support the deployment and expansion of digital infrastructure, enabling improved connectivity, the growth of online services, and continued innovation in Africa’s digital economy.

Organisations such as universities, schools, government institutions, Internet service providers, enterprises, and digital service providers seeking reliable access to Internet number resources and guidance in Internet number management are encouraged to engage with AFRINIC.

For more information or to become an organisation member, contact the AFRINIC Services team at:

AFRINIC continues to support the development of a more secure and resilient Internet infrastructure across Africa by enabling its members to adopt modern routing security practices and maintain accurate Internet registry data.

In February 2026, AFRINIC members demonstrated strong engagement in securing their networks and improving the integrity of Internet number resource records. During the month, the community created 1,262 new WHOIS objects, reflecting ongoing efforts by organisations to maintain accurate and up-to-date registration data within the AFRINIC registry. At the same time, 579 users actively managed their resources through the MyAFRINIC portal, while 879 members were operating with secure routing mechanisms.

A key component of Internet routing security is the use of Route Origin Authorizations (ROAs), which enable network operators to verify that a specific Autonomous System is authorised to originate a particular IP prefix. AFRINIC members currently maintain 11,071 active ROAs, demonstrating continued progress in the adoption of secure routing technologies.

By supporting the deployment of routing security tools and encouraging accurate registry management, AFRINIC helps reduce risks such as prefix hijacking and routing leaks, which can disrupt Internet services and compromise network reliability. The growing adoption of these practices by AFRINIC members contributes to greater trust, stability, and resilience in Africa’s Internet infrastructure, benefiting businesses, governments, and Internet users across the continent.

As part of its continued efforts to strengthen organisational governance and ensure that its governing framework reflects the needs of the community, AFRINIC has appointed the 2026 Bylaws Review Committee following an open call for volunteers.

The committee brings together experienced community representatives from all AFRINIC sub-regions, reinforcing the organisation’s commitment to transparent, inclusive, and community-driven governance processes. The committee will review existing bylaws and provide recommendations that support the effective functioning and long-term stability of AFRINIC.

The members of the 2026 Bylaws Review Committee are:

• Mr. Khaled Khelifi — Northern Africa
• Mr. Oluwaseun Ojedeji — Western Africa
• Mr. Andrew Alston — Indian Ocean
• Mr. Landry Mexent Lingombe — Central Africa
• Mr. Mike Silber (Chairperson) — Southern Africa
• Mr. Simon Balthazar — Eastern Africa

Through this regional representation, the committee ensures that diverse perspectives from across Africa and the Indian Ocean region contribute to the review process, helping to strengthen AFRINIC’s governance framework and enhance accountability within the organisation.

The Board has officially ratified two policies, reinforcing the management framework for internet resources in our region:The Board has officially ratified two policies, reinforcing the management framework for internet resources in our region:

As Internet usage continues to grow across Central Africa, the development of resilient and locally managed Internet infrastructure has become increasingly important. Strengthening local connectivity helps improve network performance, reduce latency, and keep Internet traffic within the region.

In Cameroon, Douala IX, an Internet Exchange Point (IXP), is working to enhance the exchange of local Internet traffic and strengthen regional connectivity. By enabling networks to interconnect locally, the exchange point contributes to more efficient data routing and improved Internet service quality for users.

Through strategic collaboration and technical capacity-building initiatives, AFRINIC has supported Douala IX in strengthening its operational capabilities and expanding its role within the regional Internet ecosystem. This collaboration highlights the practical impact of AFRINIC’s community-driven support, helping to improve network resilience and foster a more robust and efficient Internet infrastructure across Central Africa.

More on this story on our blog.

AFRINIC’s recent engagements underscore a commitment to strengthening Africa’s internet resilience through technical training and strategic advocacy. In Benin, a five-day hands-on workshop equipped engineers with critical skills in IXP interconnection and routing security. In Tunis, AFRINIC engaged IT decision-makers and showcased AFRINIC’s initiatives to address cybersecurity and cloud infrastructure challenges within the Maghreb region.

Furthermore, during the Central Africa IGF 2026  in Burundi, AFRINIC’s contributions centred on regulatory harmonisation and the need for greater IP resource allocation. By fostering collaboration between technical communities, policymakers, and academia, AFRINIC is bridging digital gaps and ensuring a secure, inclusive, and efficient internet ecosystem across the continent.

AFRINIC’s senior management participated in APRICOT 2026, held in Jakarta, Indonesia, from 4 to 12 February 2026. The event brought together Internet operators, policymakers, and technical experts from across the Asia-Pacific and global Internet community to discuss Internet operations, infrastructure development, and emerging technologies. On the sidelines of the event, the Chairman of the AFRINIC Board of Directors, together with AFRINIC senior management, also took part in the Number Resource Organization Executive Council (NRO-EC) meeting. The meeting convened representatives of the Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) to discuss matters related to the coordination and governance of Internet number resources worldwide.

AFRINIC’s participation in these engagements reflects its continued commitment to global collaboration with the Internet technical community, strengthening coordination among the Regional Internet Registries and ensuring that Africa’s perspectives and priorities are represented in discussions shaping the future of the Internet.

Organisations across Africa and the Indian Ocean region continue to join the AFRINIC Internet community to access the resources, services, and expertise needed to build and operate modern Internet infrastructure.

As the Regional Internet Registry serving Africa, AFRINIC provides Internet number resources, technical support, and capacity-building programmes that enable organisations to develop reliable networks, expand connectivity, and support digital innovation.

By becoming an AFRINIC member, organisations gain access to a collaborative technical community, participate in the development of Internet resource policies, and benefit from guidance on best practices for Internet number management and routing security.

Universities, Internet service providers, enterprises, government institutions, financial organisations, and digital service providers are invited to join the growing AFRINIC community and contribute to the continued development of a secure, stable, and resilient Internet across the region