Program

Time

Activity

Facilitators

7.30 am – 8.30 am 

Registration and Tag collection

Africa DNS Forum  and local Host Secretariat

Master of Ceremony

Barrack Otieno, AFTLD

Yaovi Atohoun, ICANN

Kwaku Antwi, GDNR

9.00 – 9.40

Opening Ceremony

 

This will be the official launch of the Africa Domain Name System Forum and will feature Principals from the partner organizations.

Eyitayo Iyortim, AFTLD President 

Mouhamet Diop, Chairman AFREGISTRAR

Pierre Dandjinou, VP ICANN

Estelle Akofio – Sowah, GDNR Board Chair

9.40 – 10.15 am

Keynote

 

This session will set the scene for key issues requiring reflection and deliberation by forum participants.

Enhancing the resilience of the Domain Name System in Africa

Moderator: Eyitayo Iyortim 

Neil Dundas 10 Min (Remote)

Anne Rachel 10 Min (remote)

Prof. Nii Quaynor 10 Min

10:15 am – 10:20

This session will provide an opportunity for the Government of Ghana to welcome Forum participants and share local perspectives relevant to the theme of the meeting

Guest of Honour Speech 

Hon. Samuel Nartey George 

Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Government of Ghana

10.20 – 10.45 am

Break and Group Picture

10.45 am – 11.45 am

Session 1:

 

This session will explore current trends with respect to Investments and Financing of Domain Name Business in Africa

Investing in, and Funding the DNS Business in Africa

 

Moderator: Ms Dorothy Gordon, Technology Activist 

 

Jonathan Gahamayi  – Afriregister 

Host Africa – Wycliffe Onduu 

Cloud for Africa -Frank Aguibi

Grace Ingabire CEO RICTA (remote)

11:45 PM to 12.45.PM PM

Session 2:

 

This session will explore developments on the legal and regulatory environment impacting the Domain Name System and affecting user experience in Africa

Panel: New Regulation Challenges and DNS User Experience in Africa

Moderator:  June Okal, ICANN

Simla Budhu Registry Africa 

Hamza (Genious)

Ghana Domain Name Registry Kwaku Antwi, Director of Policy  and Regulations, GDNR:

Ali Drissa Badiel – ITU/Isaac Boateng Director of Standards, ATU

1.00 PM – 2 PM

Lunch Break

All

2.00 PM – 2.40 PM

Session 3

This panel will explore emerging trends driven by Artificial Intelligence in the Domain Name Ecosystem in Africa

 

Panel: The domain name industry in the age of AI: threats or opportunities?

 

Moderator : Mouhamet Diop

 

Palanga Venant WACREN CEO

Hamza Aboufeth Genious

Prof Seydina ndiaye UVS Virtual University of Senegal  (remote)

2.40 PM – 3.30 PM

Session 4: National Showcases 

 

This panel will showcase successful local initiatives across the African continent that have evolved as Communities of practice for catalysing developments in the local domain name industry

  • Ghana DNS Forum Benedict Sagoe
  • Kenya Internet Summit Andrew Lewela
  • Benin DNS Forum  (remote)
  • Uganda DNS Forum (remote)
  • Tchad DNS Forum (remote)
  • Tech Convergence .NIRA

3.30 PM-3:45 PM

Coffee Break

All

3.45PM -4.30 PM

Session 5

 

This session will explore the nexus between IP addresses and the Domain Name System in Africa

IP addresses and DNS: 

 

Moderator Alain Aina 

 

Brice Abbah Afrinic

Mohamed Rudman (remote)

Noah Maina TISPA (remote)

Mana Aidara – ARTP Senegal 

Silas Peprah, (Accra Exchange Point)

4.30 PM – 5.15 PM

Session 6

 

This session will focus on case studies on successful DNSSEC implementation initiatives across the African continent

Special Focus on CDA DNSSEC ICANN

Yazid Moderator

AFNOG Alain Aina 

CV Eric Sotelo

CM Albert Kamga

5.15PM – 5.30 PM

Closing ceremony

 

This will be the official closing Ceremony for the 2025 Africa Domain Name System Forum

AFTLD, AfRegistrar, ICANN

Eyitayo Iyortim AFTLD President

Mouhamet Diop Chairman AFREGISTRAR

Pierre Dandjinou VP ICANN

Hon. Abed-Nego Bandim, MP and Chair of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Information and Communications, Ghana.

5.45 PM

Cocktail