The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), the umbrella group responsible for internet registration in the country, has expressed concern over Nigeria’s increasing dependence on foreign domain names, warning that the trend could weaken the country’s control over its digital identity and short-change the country on the economic benefits from its growing online ecosystem.
The association gave the warning during the .ng Media Advocacy and Capacity Building Initiative for the Nigerian Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) held in Lagos, which featured industry stakeholders’ interactions on the best strategies for strengthening local domain adoption in the country.
Expressing the group’s concern over the worrisome development, the NiRA President, Adesola Akinsanya, queried the ownership of Nigeria’s digital presence, adding that the solution lies in the country’s approach to domain name usage and the narratives shaping its digital economy.
The industry expert likened the rising reliance on foreign domains by public and private sectors in the country to building on land owned by others, where control, legal authority, and economic value are outside the national borders.
- Advertisement -
Akinsanya maintained that many Nigerian businesses operating on widely used domains such as .com were anchoring their digital operations on infrastructure that is not under legal control of the government with the attendant negative implications for the nation’s long-term sovereignty and value addition.
In her remarks at the forum, the Chief Operating Officer of NiRA, Seyi Onasanya, likened domain names to digital real estate underscoring their strategic importance as a foundational layer of the modern economy.
She noted that countries that prioritized local domain systems are better positioned to retain the economic gains, build trust, and strengthen their competitiveness in the global digital landscape.
Onasanya further clarified that although country-code domains accounted for nearly 40% of global registrations, Nigeria’s adoption of its .ng domain remains relatively low, despite the country’s large population and growing base of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Experts at the forum explained that while Nigeria’s digital economy continued to expand based on the rising internet penetration and a vibrant technology ecosystem, warning that continued reliance on foreign domains could contribute to capital flight, weaken Nigeria’s digital branding, and expose businesses to external regulatory risks.
