Emma Okonji
Despite the slow but steady growth rate in the adoption of .ng domain name in the past one year, the number has again increased slightly from 193,085 in May to 198,294 in July 2023, the latest statistics on Nigeria’s .ng domain name released by the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), has revealed.
NiRA is responsible for managing Nigeria’s country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD).
Although the previous statistics on .ng domain name, as released by NiRA, showed a slow but steady growth in its adoption rate in the past one year, the latest statistics, which chronicled its growth rate from May to July this year also showed a slight growth in the adoption of .ng domain across the country.
According to the statistics, which THISDAY obtained from the official website of NiRA, the .ng domain name registration, renewal and restoration, rose again from 193,085 in May to 195,098 in June, before reaching 198,294 in July 2023.
A comprehensive data of the adoption rate of .ng domain name in the last one year, showed that in July 2022, the figure grew to 180,162 and from August to September same year, it increased to 181,275. From October to November 2022, the figure increased again to 183,169. In December 2022, it increased again to 183,792 before it reached 184,425 in January 2023, and 189,158 in March 2023.
Again it increased from 189,158 in March to 193,085 in May this year, and rose again to 195,098 in June, before reaching 198,294 in July 2023.
According to the latest statistics, registration alone reached 7,777 in May this year, and dropped to 7,589 in June, before rising again to 8,308 in July 2023. Renewal of .ng domain name alone was 5,252 in May this year, and it increased o 5,254 in June, before reaching 5,403 in July this year, while restoration of .ng domain name was 163 in May, but dropped to 129 in June and in July 2023 respectively.
The ccTLD .ng domain name is Nigeria’s identity in cyberspace, which has the .ng at the suffix of every official email address that originates from Nigeria. In the United Kingdom, all official email addresses end with .co.uk, in United States of America, they end with .com, while in South Africa, the official email addresses end with .co.za.
In Nigeria, NiRA has carried out several campaigns to sensitise Nigerians on the need to populate .ng domain name.
Giving reasons for the continuous increase in the adoption rate of .ng domain name across the county in the past one year, the President of NiRA, Mr. Adesola Akinsanya, told THISDAY that the strategic collaborations between NiRA and some corporate organisations, aimed at populating Nigeria’s .ng domain name, were largely responsible.
He also said Nigerians were beginning to understand the need to identify with .ng domain name for every online transaction and communication.
According to him, NiRA had in the past months, carried out several campaigns to sensitise Nigerians on the need to populate .ng domain name in order to advance Nigeria’s digital economy.
“At NiRA, our paramount objective is to drive Nigeria’s digital economy forward, using the .ng domain name. Our commitment is vividly demonstrated through our strategic alliances with key players in the digital arena. NiRA participated in the 9th edition of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) ICTEL EXPO 2023, a platform enabling us to educate attendees on broadening their online footprint and strategically penetrating the local market using the .ng domain. This endeavour emphasises the significance of harnessing the .ng domain for optimal digital presence.
“NiRA recently facilitated an on-boarding session with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN). Our commitment to fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange is resolute, propelling our partners toward a digitally enriched future. Recently, NiRA and Lagos Innovates, an initiative of the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), converged in a strategic partnership meeting, aimed at fostering a thriving digital ecosystem that empowers startups and techpreneurs,” Akinsanya said.
According to him, the core focus of the strategic partnerships revolves around empowering tech entrepreneurs and startups with the potent .ng domain. This domain, reserved for Nigeria, holds immense potential to drive online success, expand digital footprints, and connect businesses with their target audience.
