Things You Need to Know About AFRINIC (African Network Information Center)

AFRINIC (African Network Information Center) is a not-for-profit organization that is responsible for the distribution and management of Internet Protocol (IP) address space and Autonomous System Numbers (ASNs) for the African region. 

It is one of five regional Internet registries (RIRs) around the world, along with APNIC (Asia Pacific), ARIN (North America), LACNIC (Latin America and the Caribbean), and RIPE NCC (Europe and the Middle East). 

The RIRs are responsible for the allocation and assignment of IP addresses and ASNs to Internet service providers, businesses, and other organizations within their respective regions. 

AFRINIC was established in 2005 and is headquartered in Mauritius.

Summarily:

• AFRINIC serves the African region, which includes 54 countries and territories.

• Its main function is to manage the distribution and administration of IP address space and ASNs within its region. This includes allocating blocks of IP addresses to Internet service providers and other organizations, as well as maintaining a registry of IP address assignments and ASN allocations.

• AFRINIC also provides a range of services to its members, including training and capacity building, technical assistance, and access to online resources such as whois databases and routing information.

• In addition to its core functions, AFRINIC is also involved in various initiatives to promote the growth and development of the Internet in Africa. These include programs to support the deployment of Internet infrastructure, promote the use of IPv6 (the next generation of IP addresses), and support the development of local Internet communities.

• AFRINIC is governed by a board of directors, which is elected by the organization's members. The board is responsible for setting the overall direction and policies of the organization, as well as overseeing its operations and finances.