Akpabio: Nigerians should embrace, promote country’s digital domain name

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has implored Nigerians to take ownership of the country’s digital identity by embracing the .ng domain.

Akpabio said the .ng domain represents Nigeria’s true digital presence and should be the foundation for the nation’s online identity.

He made the call in Abuja during the Tech Convergence 2.0 conference organised by the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), which brought together policymakers, government officials, and technology leaders to discuss the country’s digital future.

Represented by Diket Plang, senator representing Plateau central and chairman of the senate committee on labour, employment and productivity, Akpabio said the government must lead efforts to promote Nigeria’s digital sovereignty through the adoption of local domains.

“We now live in a digital world, and we must also take ownership of our presence online, and for us, the true mark of that ownership is through the .ng domain,” he said.

While the .ng domain already ranks second in Africa, speakers said the drive to promote ‘Made-in-Nigeria’ products and services under President Bola Tinubu’s policy should now extend to the digital space.

Shuaib Salisu, chairman of the senate committee on ICT and cybersecurity, urged Nigerians to take pride in the nation’s digital space.

“We must understand we are stakeholders in our internet space and must promote what is ours,” he said.

Adesola Akinsanya, president of NiRA, described the .ng domain as “a symbol of Nigerian digital pride”, noting that it reflects national confidence and capacity.

“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 said.

Ibukun Odusote, chairperson of the NiRA board of trustees, urged stakeholders to prioritise the use of local digital infrastructure.

“There should be an urgent need to adopt what is ours, which is the .ng domain,” she said.

Adebowale Adedokun, director-general of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), said the agency is working to ensure that all communications across more than 120,000 ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) are hosted under the .ng domain.

He said the measure is intended to strengthen national identity and eliminate the use of generic domains in government communications.

Oluwaseyi Onasanya, chief operating officer of NiRA, urged Nigerians to reflect on their online presence and contribute to building the national digital brand.

“Nigerians need to adopt .ng to allow us to own our narrative online,” he said.