Nigeria’s .ng Domain Usage Sees Slight Growth

Almost 20 years after launching the .ng domain, Nigeria still struggles to boost its adoption rate. As of March 2025, the number of active .ng domain names stood at 231,556, according to data from the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA).

In January 2025, NiRA recorded 9,591 new registrations, 8,339 renewals, and 215 domain restorations, bringing the total to 234,083. This figure marked a small rise from the 217,527 recorded in February 2024 and the 185,461 in February 2023.

Despite this growth, Nigeria still lags behind many African countries. For example, South Africa, with a population of 60.4 million, has over 1.25 million active .za domains. Kenya, with 53.7 million people, has 93,446 .ke domains.

What is a Domain Name?

A domain name is a unique address that identifies websites on the Internet. These names are assigned by registrars approved by ICANN, the global body that manages domain names and IP addresses.

The .ng domain is Nigeria’s official online identity. It appears at the end of email addresses and websites from Nigeria, just as .co.uk represents the UK, .com or .usa the US, and .co.za South Africa.

Challenges Holding Back .ng Adoption

Nigeria has over 200 million people and nearly 160 million internet users. However, the .ng domain accounts for only 0.0005% of the 365.5 million global domain names.

Several reasons explain this low figure. Many Nigerians still prefer foreign domains like .com. Also, the .ng domain tends to be more expensive, and many Nigerian businesses have yet to establish an online presence.

Currency Crisis Boosts Local Domain Use

Sola Akinsanya, President of NiRA, explained that the high exchange rate has pushed more Nigerians to adopt the .ng domain. Foreign domains now cost more due to the rising dollar. As a result, local domains have become the cheaper and more accessible choice.

“So, people now prefer .ng,” Akinsanya said. “They don’t want to struggle with the high cost of renewing foreign domains.”

Awareness Campaigns Push for Growth

NiRA is investing heavily in campaigns and training programs to increase awareness of the .ng domain. The Federal Government is also supporting this effort. Through NITDA, it conducts quarterly training for ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), encouraging them to switch to the .gov.ng domain.

Akinsanya added that although inflation and the weak naira are helping the adoption of .ng, patriotism remains the biggest challenge. “We need more Nigerians to support our national domain. That’s how we can grow.”