NiRA Urges Stronger Adoption of ‘.ng’ Domain to Boost Nigeria’s Digital Sovereignty
Debate is intensifying over Nigeria’s digital sovereignty, as internet governance stakeholders urge stronger policy enforcement to maximise the value of the country’s national domain and local online infrastructure.
The warning was raised by the President of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), Adesola Akinsanya, who said Nigeria’s digital transformation efforts must go beyond expanding connectivity to strengthening governance, data control and national ownership of online assets. She argued that the strategic importance of the country’s country-code top-level domain, ‘.ng’, has not been fully realised in national planning.
According to her, effective digital transformation requires policies that prioritise local hosting, secure infrastructure and widespread adoption of the .ng domain across public and private institutions. She noted that while progress has been made in internet penetration and digital services, regulatory enforcement has lagged behind technological growth.
A key concern highlighted is the slow implementation of the Nigeria First Policy, introduced in 2025, which directs federal ministries, departments and agencies to migrate to the .ng domain and host significant data within the country. Despite this directive, many government institutions reportedly continue to operate on foreign domains and offshore hosting platforms.
Industry analysts say this trend may expose institutions to cybersecurity risks while also reducing potential revenue for local data centres and digital service providers. They add that broader adoption of the .ng domain could strengthen domestic infrastructure, reduce latency, and boost confidence in Nigeria’s digital economy.
NiRA is therefore calling for stronger enforcement measures, including procurement guidelines requiring public institutions to use .ng domains, incentives to encourage private sector migration, and expanded support for local hosting providers to meet growing demand.
The association maintains that reinforcing Nigeria’s digital identity is essential to achieving economic retention, improved cybersecurity and long-term digital sovereignty.
