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Adiel Akplogan is a Togolese Internet pioneer and executive, based in Canada. He has played a key role in the development of the Internet infrastructure across Africa.
Historically, he is known as the founding CEO of AFRINIC, the Regional Internet Registry for Africa, where he helped build the framework for Internet resource management on the continent.
His work focused heavily on domain names and IP address allocation, strengthening Africa’s position in global Internet governance. Akplogan’s efforts have been instrumental in expanding access to domain names and ensuring African representation in the digital space.
Adiel Akplogan serves as Vice-President for Technical Engagement at ICANN, bringing over 25 years of experience and active involvement in the global Internet industry. Prior to joining ICANN, he was President and CEO of AFRINIC from 2004 to 2015, IT Director at Symbol Technology (a Motorola company) in France from 2001 to 2003, and CTO of CAFÉ Informatique in Togo from 1994 to 2000. Recognized as a pioneer of Internet technology in Africa, he helped build technical capacities for the first private ISPs in West Africa between 1996 and 2000. His contributions were honored by the Internet Society, which inducted him into the Internet Hall of Fame in 2019.
Adiel A. Akplogan is ICANN’s Vice President for Technical Engagement, bringing over 25 years of global involvement in the Internet industry. Prior to joining ICANN, he served as President and CEO of AFRINIC (2004-2015), IT Director at Symbol Technology (a Motorola company) in France (2001-2003), and CTO at CAFÉ Informatique in Togo (1994-2000). Recognized as a pioneer in African Internet technology, he helped establish technical capacity for early private ISPs in West Africa. In 2019, he was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame by the Internet Society.
Throughout his career, Adiel has held positions on various Boards and Advisory Committees, including the USTTI, UNECA’s Technical Advisory Committee, the NRO’s Executive Council (2005-2015), and the UN Multistakeholder Advisory Group (IGF MAG). He was also involved in the development of key African Internet initiatives, such as AfNOG, AFRINIC, AfTLD, AfricaCERT, and the Africa Internet Summit.
Adiel is passionate about Internet technology’s impact on humanity and has contributed to numerous papers on Internet infrastructure and governance. He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master's in E-Business and New Technology Management from the Paris Graduate School of Management. Adiel currently resides and works in Montreal, Canada.