Nigeria’s drive toward digital sovereignty has gained major backing from the Senate, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), as key government institutions rally behind the full adoption of the country’s official domain — .ng.
At the Tech Convergence 2.0 Summit, organised by the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) in Abuja, government officials, technology leaders, and policymakers agreed that Nigeria must urgently assert control over its digital identity to protect national interests and promote homegrown innovation.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represented by Senator Diket Plang, underscored the importance of digital ownership, noting that Nigeria’s online presence should reflect its national identity.
“We now live in a digital world, and we must also take ownership of our presence online. For us, the true mark of that ownership is through the .ng domain,” he said.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu, also stressed the strategic value of the country’s domain.
“We must understand that we are stakeholders in our Internet space and must promote what is ours. The .ng domain is not just an address; it’s a statement of national pride,” Salisu stated.
NiRA President, Adesola Akinsanya, described the .ng extension as a “symbol of Nigerian digital pride,” calling on individuals, businesses, and public institutions to embrace it as part of the nation’s digital identity.
“Our mission is to build trust through the Nigerian identity online and ensure every Nigerian is identifiable online through our digital identity — the .ng domain,” Akinsanya explained.
The Chairperson of NiRA’s Board of Trustees, Ibukun Odusote, echoed the sentiment, urging stronger commitment to local infrastructure.
“There should be an urgent need to adopt what is ours — the .ng domain. Our national digital infrastructure must reflect our values,” she said.
Representing the Director-General of NITDA, a senior official noted that government institutions must set the pace in adopting local domains to project Nigeria’s digital image globally.
“The Internet has gone beyond just communication. It is now an infrastructure for innovation and identity. The government must be the primary face of Nigeria online,” the official remarked.
The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr Adebowale Adedokun, disclosed that the agency is already working to ensure that all communications from over 1,200 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) are migrated to the .ng platform.
“It is a national imperative. We must ensure that government communications reflect our identity and prevent reliance on generic or foreign domains,” Adedokun affirmed.
NiRA’s Chief Operating Officer, Oluwaseyi Onasanya, made a passionate appeal to both public and private sector players to adopt .ng as a matter of digital patriotism.
“Nigerians need to adopt .ng to allow us to own our narrative online. This is more than branding it is patriotism,” Onasanya said.
The Tech Convergence 2.0 summit concluded with a collective resolution that digital identity should be treated as an extension of national identity. Stakeholders agreed that the “Nigeria First Online” agenda must now move beyond policy discussions to concrete implementation that secures the nation’s place in the digital economy.
“Nigeria’s digital identity must be owned, built, and secured by Nigerians,” Akinsanya concluded.
