Prof Quaynor: Africa needs open internet as late comers - ITREALMS

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Leading father of African Internet, and Ghanaian scientist, Prof. Nii Narku Quaynor has declared that the continent needs an open internet to catch up with development in the digital ecosystem, reports ITREALMS.

Speaking as a special guest at the 2023 African Peering and Interconnection Forum (AfPIF) in Accra-Ghana, Prof. Quaynor decried the incessant shutdowns of the Internet on the continent.

According to him, Africa as a late comer to the adoption of the Internet should not take any action capable of retarding the progress made in the Internet ecosystem since 1992.

Internet, he said has been in insistence 29 October 1969 when the first ARPANET message was sent from the site of the University of Carlifornia, Los Angeles (UCLA) to the Stanford Research Institute.

Stressing that based on packet switching and dynamic resource allocation, the sharing of information digitally from this first node of ARPANET launched the Internet revolution.

The Ghanaian born scientist and engineer who has played an important role in the introduction and development of the Internet throughout Africa.

“The Internet shut down in Africa should stop. Any potential for shutdown should be avoided,” he charged.

Prof. Quaynor also urged African Internet stakeholders, especially the government to promote affordable access to the internet and stop creating additional digital divide on the continent by shutting down the networks.




“We should have the goal of having one internet that is affordable. So, let us stop creating additional internet or digital divide in Africa by shutting down,” he appealed.

Africa, he maintained, was late to the Internet ecosytem, because it started in the 60s and as late comers must avoid anything to set the continent back.

In addition, Prof. Quaynor said that Internet should be included in any development project in Africa.

He cited an instance with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), saying that it will not succeed without the Internet component.

This is because, there is “No amount of online training that will replace handson” he said.

Much, he pointed out, have been done but more are expected by focusing on more critical resources through Internet Protocol (IP) resources.

While bemoaning the state of the African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC), he called for more involvement of all African especially the Internet stakeholders on what goes on at AFRINIC which is a continental project.

ITREALMS gathered that AfPIF held between August 22 and 24, at the Movenpick Ambassadors Hotels, Accra-Ghana.

Remmy Nweke in Accra, Ghana/DoP Short URLs: goo.gl, mcaf.ee, cli.gs