By Prince Osuagwu

In an attempt to bridge the knowledge gap in the internet exchange point in the country, Nigeria’s top Border Gateway protocol centre, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria, IXPN has organised an intensive training programme on Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) in Lagos.

The programme was meant to plug the holes in knowledge of the internet exchange point.

Chief Executive Officer of the Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), Mr. Muhammed Rudman, described Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) as a gateway protocol that allows the internet to exchange routing information between autonomous systems (AS).

He said the BGP training is a value-added service provided by IXPN to its member organizations and other stakeholders. 

He said: “The training is necessary because the dynamics of the Internet ecosystem are changing. As a result, it is only natural to educate member organizations and other sector stakeholders on current technology trends and best practices, particularly as they relate to connectivity to the eXchange Point”. 

Participants described the training as an eye-opener in terms of localizing traffic and growing the Internet ecosystem in Nigeria.

They noted that the training affords them the opportunity to have knowledge of new global trends, and best practices in the interconnectivity of networks, particularly when it comes to peering with an Internet eXchange Point (IXP). 

IP Engineer at Hoop Telecoms Limited, Philip Omugbe, said: “The Border Gateway Protocol training with IXPN was informative and I learned some new things when it comes to peering with an internet exchange point”.

The training came at an ideal time for Bunmi Adeleye, GM Technical Operations, Syscodes Communications Ltd, who confessed that many network operators and engineers, including him, were unfamiliar with the workings of the Internet Exchange Point. 

He said: “The training was quite hands-on, interactive, and expository as there were practical live LAB sessions. Many thanks to the IXPN team, and I hope they sustain the momentum,” he added.