Business
By Anthony Isibor
THE Nigeria Internet Registration Association, NIRA, has raised concerns over the low adoption of Nigeria’s country code top-level domain .ng, warning that the trend can undermine efforts to strengthen the nation’s digital identity and sovereignty.
Speaking at the 2026 Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum on Internet Governance for Development. IG4D, organised by ITREALMS Media and DigitalSENSE Africa, NIRA President, Akinsola Adesanya, represented by Seyi Onasanya, stated that Nigeria’s domain name penetration remains significantly below its potential despite more than two decades of managing the .ng registry.
According to him, the number of registered .ng domain names remains disproportionately low when compared to Nigeria’s estimated population of about 240 million people and its position as Africa’s largest economy.
“Domain adoption in Nigeria remains relatively low compared to the size and potential of our population and economy,” he said.
He noted that Nigeria currently records only about one .ng domain name for every 1,000 people, describing the figure as “extremely low” and evidence that much more work is needed to increase awareness and adoption of the national digital identity.
“This shows clearly that though progress has been made in the last 20 years, there is still a lot of work to be done to deepen adoption, increase awareness, strengthen policy support and make .ng the natural digital identity for Nigerians,” he stated.
Adesanya emphasised that every .ng domain registered represents more than a web address, describing it as a vote of confidence in Nigeria’s digital future.
“Every .ng domain registered is not merely a web address. It is a statement of confidence in Nigeria’s digital future. It is a declaration that we believe in local capacity and the ability of Nigerians to build, own and shape their digital destiny,” he said.
Established more than 20 years ago with government support, NIRA manages Nigeria’s country code top-level domain and operates as a multi-stakeholder, non-profit organisation. According to the association, the .ng domain serves as a critical component of Nigeria’s digital infrastructure, supporting online trust, business credibility, local content development and national competitiveness.
The NIRA president stressed that increased adoption of the .ng domain would strengthen Nigeria’s online presence and support the country’s broader digital economy ambitions.
“As Nigeria deepens its digital economy, we must become more intentional about adopting and promoting a national digital identity. The .ng domain is a critical digital asset that supports online trust, business credibility, digital inclusion, local content innovation and national competitiveness,” he said.
Beyond adoption challenges, Adesanya highlighted growing cybersecurity concerns associated with increased internet usage. He said NIRA has continued to strengthen the security and resilience of the .ng domain ecosystem, including the implementation of Domain Name System Security Extensions, DNSSEC, to help protect users from fraudulent websites and cyber threats.
He called for stronger policy support, digital literacy initiatives and collaboration among stakeholders to accelerate .ng adoption and strengthen Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
In his speech at the forum, Destiny Amana, President of the Nigeria Internet Group, underscored the importance of expanding internet access and digital skills across the country.
Accordibg to him, while Nigeria has made progress in internet adoption, more efforts are required to ensure that citizens, especially young people, acquire the digital competencies needed to thrive in an increasingly technology-driven world.
Agbala encouraged students and young Nigerians to embrace programming, website development and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, noting that digital skills are becoming essential for future employment and innovation.
The forum, themed “Sustaining WSIS Vision with Multi-stakeholder Synergy in Nigeria,” brought together industry stakeholders, policymakers, technology experts and civil society groups to discuss internet governance, digital inclusion, cybersecurity and the future of Nigeria’s digital economy.
A.I
June 11, 2026
Tags: Akinsola Adesanya Destiny Amana IG4D Nigeria Internet Group Nigeria Internet Registration Association NIRA