Nigeria’s .ng Domain Registration Dropped in December 2024 to 229,583 after Slight Increase in November

Emma Okonji

The total figure for the registration, renewal and restoration of Nigeria’s .ng domain name dropped slightly in December last year to 229,583, after recording a slight increase in the months of October and November last year, which was put at 230,454 and 231,853 respectively.

This is according to the latest statistics released by the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), the body responsible for managing Nigeria’s country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD).

THISDAY analysis of the numbers showed slight increase of 228,775 and 230,232 for August and September last year respectively, up from the 226,454 it recorded in July last year.

According to the statistics, the total .ng domain name registration, renewal and restoration, reached 226,454 in July 2024, and further increased in August and September 2024 to 228,775 and 230,232 respectively. In October and November 2024, the figures increased again to reach 230,454 and 231,853 respectively, before sliding to 229,583 in December last year. 

THISDAY had last year, reported an initial steady growth of Nigeria’s .ng domain name, which grew from 212,890 in December 2023 to reach 215,496 in January 2024, before increasing again to 217,527 in February 2024, with a further increase to 220,216 in March 2024, and another increase to 222,820 and 223,891 in April and May 2024 respectively, before reaching 226,702 in June 2024, but dropped slightly to 226,454 in July 2024.   

Although the summation of .ng domain name includes registration, renewal and restoration, but the latest statistics on Nigeria’s .ng domain name as released by NiRA, showed that registration alone reached 8,589 in October 2024, but dropped to 8,561 in November 2024, with a further drop to 7,979 in December 2024. The .ng domain name renewal alone was 6,349 in October 2024, but it dropped to 5,726 in November 2024, with a further drop to 5,424 in December 2024, while the .ng domain name restoration alone was 148 in October 2024 and it increased further to 176 in November 2024, before sliding to 165 in December 2024.  

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.

Nigeria had initially maintained a steady growth in the adoption and usage of .ng domain name across different sectors of the economy and the growth attracted commendations from the global community of Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICAN) last year.   

ICAN commended Nigeria last year for surpassing the 225,000 mark for all registered .ng domain names in the country, when Nigeria attained the 226,702 in June last year. But according to the recent statistics from NiRA, Nigeria has further populated its .ng domain name registration from August to November last year, before sliding slightly to 229,583 in December 2024.   

Speaking about NiRA’s commitment to driving .ng domain adoption and advancing Nigeria’s digital landscape, President of NiRA, Adesola Akinsanya, said NiRA, organised an online accredited registrars forum held last year, which brought together, all accredited registrars, who were crucial to the success of the .ng domain. According to him, the accredited registrars act as the vital bridge between the registry and the registrants, ensuring the smooth operation and widespread adoption of the .ng domain.

He also explained how NiRA also organised the .NG Academy’s Street Digital Skills Project last year, an initiative that conducted two impactful career talks at Government Technical Colleges in Lagos—specifically at Technical College Ado-soba and Agidingbi. According to him, the initiative aims to contribute to digital skill-building in the informal sector, empowering young individuals with the knowledge and tools necessary to thrive in the digital economy.

“This project underscores our dedication to fostering digital literacy and empowering the next generation of tech leaders. We are currently conducting the .ng brand survey to gauge the awareness and adoption levels of the .ng domain among internet users in Nigeria. I am confident that NiRA will continue to lead the way in driving innovation, fostering collaboration, and promoting digital advancement in Nigeria.” Akinsanya further said.