The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has approved the 2025 Annual Report and the 2026 Business Plan of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) as part of efforts to accelerate Nigeria’s digital economy and deepen local domain adoption.

The approval was granted during a strategic meeting held at NITDA headquarters in Abuja, where NiRA President, Mr. Adesola Akinsanya, led members of the association’s board to present the organisation’s 2026 roadmap to NITDA Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE.

Following the presentation, both organisations reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration to ensure the seamless implementation of initiatives aimed at increasing the adoption of the .ng domain name across Nigeria.

To ensure effective execution of the business plan, Inuwa directed NiRA to work closely with NITDA’s e-Governance and Digital Economy Department through regular engagement, project monitoring, and implementation tracking.

“You have my full approval for these initiatives. Let us change our strategy, sync up more closely, and ensure everything we have agreed upon during this presentation is fully implemented by next year,” Inuwa stated.

Highlighting NiRA’s achievements in 2025, Akinsanya disclosed that the association recorded 98,285 new domain registrations, 71,470 renewals, and 1,970 domain restorations, bringing the total number of active domains to 241,000.

He added that the association also strengthened internet security through the implementation of Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC), aimed at delivering a safer and more resilient online experience for Nigerian internet users.

According to him, NiRA also improved registrar engagement and support services while intensifying efforts to position .ng and .gov.ng domains as the preferred digital identity platforms for businesses, government institutions, and public organisations.

Akinsanya commended NITDA for its continued support and called for stronger collaboration on public awareness campaigns and digital capacity-building programmes targeted at state governments, local councils, and public institutions.

He further revealed that NiRA is currently upgrading its internal systems, introducing automation, and reviewing its constitution to align with globally accepted standards and ensure sustainable growth.

“NiRA is looking into deeper stakeholder engagement and moving into areas where we see massive possibilities. We are specifically targeting startups and aligning with tech events across the country. With stronger collaboration, we can drive widespread adoption across every tier of government,” Akinsanya said.

The renewed partnership between NITDA and NiRA is expected to strengthen Nigeria’s digital infrastructure and promote trust, security, and indigenous participation in the country’s growing digital ecosystem.

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TECHDIGEST – The recent crash in the cost of .ng domain name by NiRA, coupled with the enforcement of the use of .ng as the official communication channel for all MDAs by the federal government, are all geared towards populating .ng domain name in Nigeria, writes Emma Okonji

The Federal Executive Council (FEC), this year, approved the National Policy on the Nigerian Government Second-Level Domains during its meeting on the 16th of February, 2022 and thus barred its workers from the use of generic domains, with a bid to enforce the use of .ng domain name across all MDAs of government.

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) followed up with the directive by recently inaugurating a 14-man enforcement committee to monitor the policy implementation across all ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) both at the state and federal levels.

READ ALSO: SABRE:NITDA Wins 2022 African PR Award For Excellence

However, the February 2022 declaration is not the first by the FEC, leaving many people astonished as to why, after six years , the Nigeria government is still advocating for compliance regarding the local .ng domain name.

Should it be regarded as ignorance or sheer sabotage that a diplomat for example, would issue a call card which contains a .com, or .co.uk, email address? It may very well be that Nigeria’s top public officials are not aware of the use of gov.ng in their ministries. One is left wondering how long it will be, to obtain full compliance to the new policy.

It is surprising that a country with 141,971,560 active internet users in the fourth quarter of 2021, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report, has less than 200,000 .ng domains to both local and international owners. The statistics baffles many Nigerians, especially when compared with the number of .co.za domains, which is the domain name for South Africa that has been pushed out to the world, and it is in full use in South Africa and in many other African countries.

Most analysts have raised questions as to why many Nigerians have refused to use .ng domains. Who is to blame? Is it that Nigerians are

thinking that the. ng is not good enough or they just do not understand its importance to national brand? Nigerians probably need some sort of government policies to make it somewhat compulsory for individuals and businesses to adopt the use of .ng domain name.

One of the analysts who is a registrar of .ng domain name, said: “If you try to convince some people to switch to .ng, a vast majority of the people would give all sorts of reasons why they do not use .ng and many of these reasons are simply based on assumptions or hearsay and not facts.

According to the registrar, “It is important to stress that the foundation of any sustainable development especially in the knowledge economy, is the enactment and enforcement of policies. Imagine, if we had a policy that states that every registered company in Nigeria must use .ng domain nam. We know this is not an impossible feat, after all the UK and a few other countries are enforcing such policies whether covertly or overtly.

“Therefore, the recent moves by the FEC must be effectively implemented especially in support of the digital economy drives. The journey towards economic diversification requires everybody’s commitment to the development of a robust digital economy and in this case, demands the use of the Nigerian Second Level Domain by all government-owned websites and official emails.

“The private sector is not left out either. Many Nigerian business platforms still struggle with the indulgence of .ng, not aware of the immense benefit it will offer to boost their business outlook both local and international.”

The Benefits

Addressing the many benefits of the adoption and use of .ng domain name, most analysts are of the view that .ng domain name, which is Nigeria’s identity in the cyberspace, will enhance global visibility of local businesses and at the same time, deepen local content development in Nigeria.

First, the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) has the registry for .ng Internet Domain Names and maintains the database of names registered in Nigeria. It has shown commitment towards this cause by the recent reduction in the price of .ng domain name registration by over 40 per cent, and the media efforts to inform the general public.

Another registrar who highlighted the benefits of .ng domain name, said: “The benefits are numerous but let us consider a few of them. The .ng is the internet country code Top-Level Domain (ccTLD) for Nigeria. Nigeria’s domain name system identifies Nigeria-related websites and is currently available for registration in the following variants, .com.ng, .ng, .org.ng, .net.ng and so on, with a few of them being restricted to Nigerian entities such as .gov.ng, .edu.ng, .sch.ng and so on.

“For instance, Nigerian businesses registering .ng domain names have the immediate benefit of being ranked first on search engines when an online search is conducted. Using it and maintaining a good search engine optimisation for the website will, over time, lead to an increase in local traffic.”

The registrar added: “A strong online presence is essential. Your prospective customer will likely conduct a web search when looking for your product or service, and a website that is relatively easy to find and navigate will greatly increase your chances of making a sale, which .ng provides. Nigeria as a Nation is blessed with this unique domain string known as .ng and we should be proud of this gift of nature. However, we should not stop at appreciating it but owning at least one of the many variants.”

Foreign Exchange

The ever increasing foreign exchange rate has hiked the cost of hosting services with multi-tenant cloud computing, using the Virtual Private Server (VPS) and the same goes for .com domain names, but analysts are of the view that using the .ng range of domains will contribute to saving the scarce forex (FX).

A lot of developers used to be happy paying for their Virtual Private Server but not anymore because of the high cost of VPS, occasioned by high foreign exchange rate.

Google, a global brand with local presence in Nigeria, owns both .com.ng as well as .ng, an example of a forward looking global company that plays local to gain the attention of millions of people in any market where it operates. Google would rather serve every online searcher with results using google.com.ng when they search for stuff within Nigeria. Even when searches done from outside of Nigeria, in a place like Ghana, using the same device, Google will still provide the results via google.com.ng

Local Content Development

With increase in local content development across all sectors of the Nigerian economy, more businesses are likely to spring up. However, considering the report by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), which stated that the number of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across the country dropped by about two million between 2017 and 2021, it became very obvious that Nigeria has no other choice than to grow its local content and intensify the promotion of local brands online.

The 2021 MSME survey revealed that there were 39 million MSMEs in Nigeria, which is a significant drop from the 41 million reported in the 2017 survey report.

Analysts are therefore of the strong opinion that Nigerians, including government across all levels must intensify action in the development of local content by supporting the growth of indigenous firms and companies.

“Just imagine what will happen if only one per cent of the reported over 211 million Nigerians, according to MacroTrends statistics, decides to own .ng domain name. That will be over 21 million domain names, which would eventually serve as the foundation for businesses and ventures on the world wide web. Would that not further strengthen the Nigerian brand and dignify her on the Internet?” one of the analysts asked.

Giving the implications of the deliberate refusal of some Nigerians to adopt and use the .ng domain name, analysts who analysed the business and economic implications, said all hands must be on deck to drive the adoption and the use of the .ng domain, in order to complement the efforts of NiRA.

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By Zeenat O. Sambo

TECHDIGEST – Recently, I read about the inauguration of a 14-man enforcement committee to monitor the implementation of the National Second Level Domain Policy across all ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) both at the state and federal levels by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and was astonished why after 6 years Nigeria government is still advocating for the compliance of the local .ng domain.

The Federal Executive Council’s (FEC) drive toward economic diversification and commitment to the development of a robust digital economy resulted in the approval of the National Second Level Domain Policy on February 16, 2022, which required the use of the Nigerian Second Level Domain by all government-owned websites and official emails.

I was surprised when a diplomat issued his card for confirmation and on it reads .co.uk and our top public officials were not aware of the use of .ng in their ministries.

It will also be surprising to many that Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) is the registry for .ng Internet Domain Names and maintains the database of names registered in Nigeria.

The .ng is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Nigeria. Nigeria’s domain name system identifies Nigeria-related websites and is currently available for registration in the following variants, with most of them being restricted to Nigerian entities such as biz.ng, org.ng, gov.ng, edu.ng, and so on.

READ ALSO : NITDA Inaugurates Taskforce On Domain Name Compliance Policy

Many Nigerian business platforms still struggle with the indulgence of .ng not aware of the immense benefit it will offer to boost their business outlook both local and international.

For Instance, Nigerian businesses registering .ng domain names have the immediate benefit of being ranked first on search engines when they conduct an online search. Using it and maintaining good SEO for the website will, over time, lead to an increase in local traffic.

A strong online presence is essential. Your prospective customer will likely conduct a web search when looking for your product or service, and a website that is relatively easy to find and navigate will greatly increase your chances of making a sale which .ng provides.

It was also disturbing to receive the report by the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) that the number of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across the country dropped by about two million between 2017 and 2021.

The 2021 MSME survey revealed that there are 39 million MSMEs in Nigeria which is a significant drop from the 41 million reported in the 2017 survey report.

Now, think of the amazing impact on these MSMEs if a significant number used the .ng domain for the development of their website with the national identity and all the attendant benefits.

For international trade merchants, .ng is a strong provider of mobility for online presence. Whether they decide to switch hosting services, relocate to a different country, or switch to using their in-house server, the domain name stays with them, allowing them to build their brand without having to start all over.

Another interesting fact is the use of .gov.ng for government organisations (MDAs) especially at the state and local government levels, where 80 percent of administration websites and mail addresses lack the .ng validation.

Nigeria’s online presence in her identity aims to dominate the digital economy, but the MDAs’ use of generic domains and personal e-mail for business and correspondence compromises its identity, security, and global reputation on the internet.

The use of .ng in all state and local governments will make a very good first impression as being patriotic, credible, and a crucial tool for meeting the needs of citizens and connecting with your community.

The slow connectivity that many local governments complain of can be resolved by our local domain .ng. There is usually a delay associated with any website that utilizes a foreign string because of URL demand for the web page to load. By using the .ng string and also hosting their website locally, they can improve speed and enable the website to operate faster.

Therefore, MDAs should serve as good examples for all in using the .ng domain at all levels. To build Nigeria’s digital presence in the global space, MDAs should stop using domains from the internet providers or mail providers.

In contrast to registering a foreign domain, the .ng domain is affordable and payments are made in Naira.  This will save businesses and the country huge amounts of foreign exchange.

What amazes me is that Nigeria has the highest number of tech hubs in Africa with South Africa coming second. Yet South Africa has over one million domains in the .co.za registry while Nigeria has about 100,000 domains in the .ng registry.

Many federal and states government institutions fancy the use of other national domain name applications like .co.za, .com, .co.uk, .com.gh at the expense of the .ng domain which still suffers poor recognition.

NITDA as the authority that manages and administers Nigeria’s ccTLD (.ng) has taken the bold step to inaugurate a 14-man enforcement committee to monitor the implementation of the National Second Level Domain Policy and ensure compliance to actively increase registration on the .ng domain.

This is a commendable effort by NITDA as it works closely with relevant organizations to ensure that all government entities have access to dedicated domain names.

Also, service providers are encouraged to support this initiative by ensuring that any government domain they register conforms to this directive to ensure the general adoption of the .ng. domain.

It is expected that the new policy will significantly enhance the public’s confidence in the authenticity and security of information accessible from government-owned websites.

Furthermore, the application of .ng domain websites or email does not invalidate our already existing email or website addresses. They can be synchronized with .ng appropriately and utilize the existing application with no complications or delay.

The cooperation of all Nigerians is highly needed to adopt the use of the .ng domain which will help advance the country’s digital transformation and economic fortune.

Zeenat O. Sambo writes from Wuye District Abuja

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TECHDIGEST – Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) has reduced the price of .NG domain by over forty per cent (40%).

NiRA is responsible for maintaining the database of registered names in the .ng country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) namespace in the public interest of Nigeria and the global internet community.

READ ALSO : Kashifu Urges NiRA To Key Into NITDA Digital Transformation Agenda

Our findings show that .NG domain name sold between N11,000 and N13,500, depending on the registrar. However, NiRA has reduced the price to N5,500.

Domains which are registered on this domain string therefore have several benefits which include geo-targeting and the reduction of capital flight as well as contribution to the local economy.

There have been many efforts by the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) managers of .ng on behalf of the Nigerian government, to continually increase access to .ng domains, for the promotion of expertise and businesses online.

NiRA partners with over seventy (70) Accredited Companies known as Registrars and conducts empowerment programs for Resellers (who are even closer to the grassroots) as ways of making these domain names more available.

In recent times, initiatives such as the capacity of domain names registered with errors, to be corrected within 24 hours at no cost to the Registrant as well as the opening of hitherto closed .ng strings such as .net.ng have greatly increased the number of businesses which can make themselves available online using a .ng domain.

Just this month, in addition to the foregoing, the Executive Board of NiRA approved the reduction in price of .ng domains at the second level, further encouraging the public to register the domains.

The Nigerian internet space went agog with this new development, with NiRA Accredited Registrars sending broadcasts to their customers stating that the price of .ng domains have now reduced.

According to the Mr. Muhammed Rudman, NiRA’s President, the reduction in price by about 40%, promotes the agenda of government towards the growth of Nigeria’s Digital Economy, superintended by Professor Isa Pantami, the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy.

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TECHDIGEST – In an effort geared towards engaging the relevant stakeholders towards the implementation of the Strategic Road Map and Action Plan (SRAP) 2021-2024, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, the director general, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has urged the Nigerian Internet Registration Association (NIRA) to align with the Agency’s initiatives for them to fully enjoy its benefits.

Mallam Abbdullahi made this call when he received Mr Muhammed Rudman, president, Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) and his team on a working visit to present the Association’s annual report to the Agency in Abuja.

He disclosed that NITDA, in its dynamism, has a lot of initiatives lined up for implementation and it is necessary for relevant stakeholders such as NiRA to keep up with the pace of the Agency by promptly keying into these initiatives.

“At NITDA, we are re-branding and re-calibrating ourselves with the new aspirations and realities of the digital ecosystem thereby going through so many transformations and you really need to key in and align in what we do,” Mallam Abdullahi stated.

The NITDA DG while stating that the Agency has set targets for internal stakeholders and special purpose vehicles of the Agency to re-align them with the repositioning of the Agency, urged NIRA to come on board in the implementation of some of the initiatives of the SRAP document.

“We don’t want to come up with regulations that will take over the MOU we have with you so we really need to sit down together and put you in our plans”, he noted.

With regards to a symbiotic relationship and support to NIRA, the DG disclosed the Agency’s commitment to enhancing the promotion and adoption of the association’s policy by mandating Data Protection Compliance Organisations (DPCO’s) and public service institutions to comply with the ‘.ng’ domain policy.

“Our Digital Transformation Technical Working Group (DTTWG) committee has written to 500 Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDA’s) on the need to comply with the ‘.ng’ policy and we have inaugurated about 100” he mentioned.

Mallam Abdullahi however sought the association’s assistance to be encouraging their customers to comply with the provisions of the Nigerian Data Protection Regulations and urged them to actively get involved in all the Agency’s events such as the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition and the Digital Nigeria.

“We need to agree on what you are going to do so that we can objectively measure and appraise your performance”, the DG concluded.

The chairman of the Association, Rudman in his presentation detailing the Association’s Annual Report highlighted some of the association’s challenges and efforts in increasing their revenue for the development of the digital ecosystem and the Nation at large.

He however gave assurance of the association’s commitment to aligning with NITDA’s strategic initiatives.

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TECH DIGEST – The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) say they would put modalities in place to ensure global visibility for Nigerian companies to promote the country’s Digital Economy Agenda.

The promise was made when the President of NiRA, Mr Muhammad Rudman and the association’s management team visited NITDA’s headquarters in Abuja

The visit was in part to solicit for the Agency’s supports going forward and to also present the report of her 12th Annual General Meeting held virtually on Thursday, 30th July 2020.

Rudman informed that the Association is making effort to promote the digital economy by offering free .com.ng domain name to newly registered companies by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

“We are seeking the NITDA’s assistance for the CAC/NiRA Integration platform,” he said.

“This means automation of the system such that someone registering a company with CAC will have the option of taking a .com.ng domain name”, he further explained.

He added that the initiative would give global visibility to Nigerian companies by giving them an opportunity to have a web presence.

The NiRA President further disclosed that the Association is trying to domesticate the internet with the objective of hosting websites locally with the resultant effect of increasing the internet speed and reduction in the cost of data usage.

While addressing the visiting delegation, the Director-General of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi said it is important for the Agency and the Association to be strategic partners to make a resounding impact in the IT sector.

He urged NiRA to be more innovative and improve on their activities and collaboration with NITDA.

Mallam Abdullahi encouraged the Association to not only be reporting to NITDA but to also align their activities to the various initiatives of the Agency, adding that government and private sector needs each other.

“The role of government is to create an enabling environment for you to succeed and your part is to tell the government what it is you need to succeed,” he advised.

Mallam Abdullahi maintained that as registrars they needed to know who owns the company they are registering and urged NiRA to come up with a Know Your Customer (KYC) Policy in other to assist themselves and the security agencies in case of eventualities.

During the visit, NiRA also submitted to NITDA its annual report and presented it future plans to the Agency, in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two organizations.

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