NiRA plans cheaper .ng domains, new measures to fight domain squatting
By Aboki Forex —
The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) is exploring ways to cut the cost of .ng domains and protect Nigerian brands from domain squatting. NiRA President Adesola Akinsanya disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
Cheaper domains for small businesses
Akinsanya said NiRA is considering initiatives that would let businesses register, renew and secure domains at more affordable rates. Discounted bundle packages offered through NiRA-accredited registrars are among the measures being promoted.
“These packages would provide small businesses with the basic resources required to establish an online presence,” he said.
The bundles could combine .com.ng domains with web hosting, one-page websites and other business tools. Akinsanya also proposed SME domain vouchers for businesses accessing digital services through commerce partners and business associations.
Under the proposed arrangement, participating registrars would provide registration services while NiRA would offer wholesale subsidies to reduce costs.
“The initiative could be implemented through partnerships with SMEDAN, the Bank of Industry and state level SME agencies,” he said. Chambers of commerce and digital skills programmes are also potential partners.
Slow adoption of .ng
The .ng domain has seen slow adoption despite its benefits, as many web developers prefer the global .com domain. Last year, the Nigerian Senate, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and NITDA joined stakeholders to call for urgent implementation of .ng adoption to promote Nigeria’s digital identity.
While the .ng ccTLD already ranks second in Africa, stakeholders stressed that the national drive to patronise Made-in-Nigeria products and services, as espoused by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s policy, must now extend aggressively to the digital space.
Fight against domain squatting
Akinsanya said NiRA is examining measures to address domain squatting, where valuable domain names are registered for resale or to block legitimate businesses. NiRA currently operates a structured process for resolving domain name disputes.
Formal complaints can be submitted to the Registry, which facilitates communication between complainants and registrants. The process supports dispute resolution in line with NiRA’s domain name policies.
He also proposed a Brand or Trademark Notification Service. Verified trademark owners could register their trademarks with NiRA-accredited registrars and receive alerts whenever exact or similar brand names are registered across .ng namespaces.
“The proposed notification system would not automatically give trademark owners ownership of disputed domains,” he said. Instead, it would provide an early warning mechanism for identifying potentially problematic registrations.
Stronger security framework
Earlier this year, NiRA launched DNS Security Extensions (DNSSEC) on the .ng domain to strengthen the country’s digital infrastructure and cybersecurity framework. DNSSEC adds cryptographic verification to the Domain Name System, helping ensure users visiting .ng websites are connected to authentic destinations.
Cheaper domains and stronger protections could help more Nigerian businesses secure their digital identity under the country’s own country-code top-level domain.