Business

Nigeria targets 30% growth in .ng domain adoption amid reforms, NiRA says

Published

2 months ago

May 3, 2026

Preport

The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) is rolling out a strategy to accelerate adoption of Nigeria’s country code top-level domain, .ng, setting a 30% year-on-year growth target and outlining reforms across marketing, governance, policy, and infrastructure.

At the centre of NiRA’s 2026 business plan is a push to expand the .ng domain namespace by increasing awareness and market penetration across Nigeria, according to the .ng domain name administrator and registry. The initiative forms part of a broader effort to reposition .ng as a core pillar of the country’s digital ecosystem, combining market expansion, institutional reforms, policy alignment, and infrastructure upgrades.

NiRA’s move comes amid a gap between Nigeria’s population and its domain name footprint. Despite having over 242 million people, Nigeria has recorded about 240,000 .ng domain registrations. By comparison, South Africa, with a population of about 65.4 million, has approximately 1.4 million domain registrations, while Kenya, with 58.6 million people, has about 115,000 domains registered.

NiRA’s move comes amid a gap between Nigeria’s population and its domain name footprint. Despite having over 242 million people, Nigeria has recorded about 240,000 .ng domain registrations. By comparison, South Africa, with a population of about 65.4 million, has approximately 1.4 million domain registrations, while Kenya, with 58.6 million people, has about 115,000 domains registered.

NiRA to drive .ng domain name uptake among Nigerians

NiRA says closing this gap is critical to advancing Nigeria’s digital economy and strengthening its national digital identity framework.

According to the registry, increased adoption of the .ng domain will support internet growth in Nigeria while enhancing local visibility for businesses and individuals seeking a trusted online presence.

To drive uptake, NiRA says it will intensify marketing efforts and awareness campaigns.

“This growth drive,” NiRA says, “will be supported by efforts to increase .ng brand visibility through targeted digital marketing campaigns and implement impactful corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives that promote digital identity and the use of .ng domains.”

The association is also prioritising improvements in registry infrastructure to support higher adoption levels, with a focus on enhancing system security, stability, and availability.

“The plan is to DNSSEC across the .ng zones to strengthen the domain name system security and invest in enhanced cybersecurity infrastructure to monitor threat detection, and response capabilities,” NiRA says.

To sustain these improvements, NiRA says it will strengthen the technical capacity of its team through training and knowledge development to manage a more complex and security-sensitive domain environment.

The registry is also seeking deeper collaboration with registrars and ecosystem partners to expand distribution channels and increase market reach.

Beyond market expansion, NiRA’s strategy signals structural changes in governance. Under its organisational capacity agenda, the association says it will align with global best practices by strengthening institutional effectiveness and separating governance from management functions.

“We will undertake a review of the existing NiRA constitution and remove executive management responsibilities currently assigned to the Board of Directors,” NiRA says, adding that plans are underway “to establish a C-Level Executive Management Team responsible for the day-to-day management and operational execution of the organisation.”

NiRA is also increasing engagement with policymakers to create an enabling environment for domain growth. The association says it will work with government institutions and stakeholders to promote policies that encourage adoption of the .ng domain among corporates, businesses, and individuals.

It also plans to advocate for legislative and regulatory measures to support the adoption, growth, and protection of Nigeria’s country code top-level domain.

As part of this effort, NiRA says it will promote the use of .ng domains across public sector institutions, including ministries, departments, and agencies at federal and sub-national levels, to deepen integration of the national domain within government digital infrastructure.

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Business

Supreme Court Upholds APP’s Registration, Ends Deregistration Battle Ahead of 2027 Elections

Published

3 hours ago

June 17, 2026

Preport

BY NKECHI NAECHE-ESEZOBOR—The Supreme Court has brought an end to the legal dispute over the status of the Action Peoples Party (APP), affirming that the party remains duly registered and eligible to take part in the 2027 general elections.

The apex court struck out Appeal No. SC/CV/248/2026 after the appellant, Mr Blessing Elujiuba, voluntarily withdrew the case, bringing the challenge to a close.

This decision leaves intact earlier judgments delivered by both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal, which had upheld the party’s legal recognition.

The ruling was delivered on May 12, 2026, by a five-member panel of the Supreme Court led by Justice John Inyang Okoro, who noted that the matter was withdrawn without objection from other parties.

The court subsequently dismissed the appeal following its withdrawal, formally ending the proceedings at the apex level of the judiciary.

The case involved the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Action Peoples Party (APP), and the party’s National Chairman, Uche Kingsley Nnadi.

The initial legal action had sought to force INEC to remove APP from its register on the allegation that it failed to meet constitutional requirements under Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution.

However, earlier rulings had found that APP met the necessary legal conditions for continued registration, citing evidence of electoral participation and victories at local government level.

The courts also upheld the interpretation that fulfilling any of the conditions outlined in Section 225A is sufficient for a political party to retain its registration status.

With all tiers of the judiciary aligned in its favour, APP’s legal standing remains intact, clearing the party to continue preparations for the 2027 elections without any outstanding court challenge.

The post Supreme Court Upholds APP’s Registration, Ends Deregistration Battle Ahead of 2027 Elections appeared first on Business Today NG.

Business

EXCLUSIVE: Nigeria’s nuclear power programme plans still alive – IAEA DG

Published

11 hours ago

June 17, 2026

Preport

The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, said discussions on Nigeria’s nuclear power programme remain alive, amid continuous technical engagements with concerned authorities in the West African country.

Mr Grossi disclosed the progress made on the nuclear power arrangement with Nigeria while responding to a PREMIUM TIMES’ enquiry at an IAEA programme in Vienna, Austria.

The IAEA DG said the agency continues to work with Nigeria on its nuclear power plan and IAEA officials had held visits and technical meetings with relevant stakeholders to actualise the dream.

In May 2024, while on a visit to Nigeria for a seminar on ‘Promoting Cancer Awareness and Advocacy Programmes’, Mr Grossi expressed the agency’s readiness to support Nigeria’s efforts to develop a nuclear power programme during meetings with senior government officials, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.

Speaking during the visit, he described Nigeria’s pursuit of nuclear energy as “a logical move for a country of your (Nigeria’s) size and importance.”

When this newspaper asked Mr Grossi about the progress of the discussions and technical meetings since the visit two years ago, the IAEA DG reassured that discussions are still ongoing.

“We have continued working with Nigeria, I have to tell you. It’s not that after that visit, things stopped. We have continued at technical levels, some visits, and technical meetings,” the IAEA DG said.

He noted, however, that no final decision has been taken on the programme, adding that Nigeria’s status as a big crude oil-producing nation makes its situation quite different from other economies.

“There hasn’t been a decision yet. There is like a pre-decision to explore the alternative. Of course, your country (Nigeria) is a big oil producer country, an exporter, etc. So the discussion in your country is different from that in other countries,” the DG said.

The IAEA boss insisted that the conversation around the programme is still alive, but Nigeria’s energy options are quite diversified.

“It’s a matter of diversification more than a matter of need, maybe. But the conversation space is pretty much alive, I must say,” Mr Grossi said.

Nigeria’s nuclear energy programme operates under the guidance and safety standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), aiming to add clean, stable nuclear electricity to the national grid. The programme is managed primarily by the Nigeria Atomic Energy Commission (NAEC) and is said to be advancing through the foundational infrastructure phases and planning stages.

READ ALSO: Survival logic of nuclear deterrence: The Iranian, Israeli, and American conundrum, By Jacob Edi

Earlier in September 2023, Nigeria signed its Country Programme Framework (CPF) for the period of 2024–2029 on the margins of the General Conference. A CPF is the frame of reference for the medium-term planning of technical cooperation between a Member State and the IAEA and identifies priority areas where the transfer of nuclear technology and technical cooperation resources will be directed to support national development goals.

Nigeria has been an IAEA Member State since 1957 and, according to the agency, its 4th CPF covering the period 2024 – 2029 identifies five priority areas, such as nuclear and radiation safety and security; food and agriculture; health and nutrition; water and environment; as well as energy planning and development.