Nigeria’s rapidly expanding digital economy is facing a foundational challenge, as the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) warns that the country’s growing online presence is not matched by control over its core internet infrastructure.

The concern emerges against the backdrop of sustained growth in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem, driven by a youthful population, increasing internet penetration, and a vibrant innovation landscape. However, stakeholders say that beneath this progress lies a structural imbalance, where active participation in the global digital space is not translating into ownership of its foundational layers.

This issue took centre stage at NiRA’s Media Advocacy and Capacity Building Initiative held Thursday in Lagos, where Adesola Akinsanya, President of NiRA, highlighted the risks associated with the continued reliance of Nigerian businesses and institutions on foreign domain names, rather than the country’s indigenous .ng domain.

“While we are active participants in the global digital space, we do not yet exercise full control over its foundational layers,” Akinsanya said. He described organisations operating on foreign domains as “digital nomads, wielding wealth on rented soil,” warning that the continued preference for external platforms amounts to building valuable digital assets on infrastructure outside national control.

With approximately 240,381 registered domains, NiRA flags low .ng count

Delivering a keynote address at the event, Akinsanya stressed that digital identity is neither accidental nor passive, but deliberately constructed through critical infrastructure such as the Domain Name System (DNS), which underpins how users access and identify websites.

Within this framework, Nigeria’s country code top-level domain (ccTLD), .ng, is locally managed but remains underutilised.

“While we are active participants in the global digital space, we do not yet exercise full control over its foundational layers,” Akinsanya said. He described organisations operating on foreign domains as “digital nomads, wielding wealth on rented soil,” warning that the continued preference for external platforms amounts to building valuable digital assets on infrastructure outside national control.

According to him, the trend creates systemic risks across multiple dimensions, including trust, economic value retention, and security. He explained that users may find it harder to verify the authenticity of platforms operating on foreign domains, while economic value generated within Nigeria’s digital ecosystem may not be fully retained locally.

He also raised concerns about jurisdictional exposure and incident response limitations, noting that reliance on foreign-controlled infrastructure could complicate cybersecurity and regulatory enforcement.

“In reality, the choice of a domain is a strategic decision that sits at the intersection of identity, security, and economic relevance,” Akinsanya said, urging stakeholders to treat domain names as critical digital assets rather than routine technical considerations.

Despite advances in security technologies such as DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC), adoption of the .ng domain remains limited. Akinsanya noted that technology alone is insufficient to drive uptake, pointing to the role of perception and awareness in shaping digital behaviour.

He identified the media as a key stakeholder in repositioning .ng as a symbol of trust, economic positioning, and national alignment, adding that effective storytelling can bridge the gap between technical complexity and public understanding.

The NiRA President outlined three pillars critical to Nigeria’s digital competitiveness: infrastructure, adoption, and narrative. While efforts are ongoing to strengthen infrastructure and encourage uptake, he said shaping public perception remains a shared responsibility.

“Every headline, every feature, and every analysis contributes to defining how Nigeria is perceived in the digital space,” Akinsanya said, urging media professionals to recognise their role as active participants in shaping the country’s digital trajectory.

Low .ng adoption raises economic, sovereignty concerns

Industry stakeholders say Nigeria’s .ng domain holds significant potential to influence the country’s digital economy, but low adoption continues to limit its impact.

Speaking on the economic relevance of domain names, Seyi Onasanya, Chief Operating Officer of NiRA, said domains are not merely digital tools but strategic assets that define national identity, trust, and economic value online.

Citing global trends, she noted that out of approximately 368 million domain names worldwide, about 40% are country code top-level domains (ccTLDs), reflecting how countries prioritise ownership of their digital identity.

Onasanya described .ng as Nigeria’s digital identity layer, playing a central role in determining control over data, online presence, and digital sovereignty.

According to data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigeria has about 148.2 million internet users. However, despite this level of penetration, adoption of the .ng domain remains relatively low, with approximately 240,381 registered domains.

The disparity, stakeholders say, highlights a broader issue of digital competitiveness, where access to the internet is not being matched by the localisation of digital identity and infrastructure.

Onasanya warned that reliance on foreign domains carries economic implications, particularly in terms of capital flight, as value generated through domain registrations and associated services flows خارج Nigeria.

“Every foreign domain is a capital flight. The moment you register a foreign domain, of course, value is going outside Nigeria,” she said.

Beyond financial considerations, she raised concerns about data sovereignty, noting that hosting digital assets on foreign domains may subject Nigerian data to external jurisdictions, with implications for privacy, security, and regulatory oversight.

To address these challenges, Onasanya called for stronger government intervention through targeted policies and legislation to encourage or mandate the adoption of .ng domains.

She cited international examples such as Germany and Canada, where government-led initiatives have played a central role in driving the uptake of national domains.

Proposed measures include requiring businesses to register a digital address alongside their physical address, mandating the use of .ng domains for government contracts, and enforcing broader adoption across public sector institutions.

While federal agencies are required to use .gov.ng domains, stakeholders note that compliance at state and local government levels remains inconsistent, underscoring the need for wider enforcement.

Onasanya also highlighted the role of the media in shaping public perception and accelerating adoption.

“Media drives adoption, perception, and awareness. Journalists should use provocative, attention-grabbing headlines to spotlight Nigeria’s digital gaps,” she said.

She warned that without stronger adoption of .ng, Nigeria risks weakening its digital sovereignty and deepening dependence on foreign-controlled infrastructure.

“Without .ng, you have very weak national identity, weak digital sovereignty, and will be dependent on other countries externally,” Onasanya said.

The discussions underscore a critical inflection point for Nigeria’s digital economy, where the focus is shifting from access and participation to ownership, control, and long-term value creation within the country’s internet ecosystem.