The Nigerian Internet Registration Association successfully convened the third edition of its annual Tech Convergence conference, bringing together senators, regulators, industry executives, and digital economy stakeholders for a landmark dialogue on the future of Nigeria’s digital sovereignty.
Under the theme “Strengthening Nigeria’s Digital Independence: The Role of Policy, Digital Identity, and .ng for Economic Growth,” Tech Convergence 3.0 delivered a resounding consensus: the time for Nigeria to own, govern, and aggressively expand its digital identity is not tomorrow, it is now.
High-level Convergence: Government, Regulators and Industry Speak with One Voice
The breadth of institutional representation at Tech Convergence 3.0 was itself a statement. Key speakers and participants included:
- Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu (Chairman, Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity)
- Hon. Stanley Olajide (Chairman, House Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity)
- Dr. Vincent Olatunji (National Commissioner and CEO, Nigeria Data Protection Commission)
- Dr. Ibiso Kingsley-George (representing the Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission)
- Engr. Salisu Kaka (representing the Director-General, NITDA)
- Grace Waniko Abhulimen (representing the Director-General, National Bureau of Statistics)
- Tony Izuagbe Emoekper (President, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria — ATCON)
- Representatives from NIMC, Nigeria Copyright Commission, the Internet Society of Nigeria, and leading private sector organizations.
The Cost of Digital Dependency: $850 million and counting
Among the conference’s most sobering disclosures was the revelation that Nigeria loses an estimated $850 million annually by failing to fully leverage its own digital identity infrastructure.
Speakers drew a direct line between this economic hemorrhage and the nation’s continued dependence on foreign domains, offshore data hosting, and non-indigenous digital platforms, a dependency that not only exports revenue but surrenders jurisdictional control over Nigerian citizens’ data.
Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu, Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, delivered the conference’s keynote address with striking geopolitical urgency.
Drawing parallels to the US-China tech war, the EU’s battles with Apple and Google over COVID contact-tracing sovereignty, and Israel’s use of digital infrastructure in warfare, Senator Salisu framed the .ng domain not as a registration technicality but as a matter of national security.
“We may have the Navy to protect our marine borders. Our Air Force may be free in the air to protect our airspace. But your data is somewhere in China. We are vulnerable as a people and that is why this conversation is extremely important. One area where we can take very good control is the .ng domain, because this is our address.” – Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu, chairman, Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity
Continuing, he said:
“Why would a nation physically residing in Nigeria give its contact address as France? Why should that be any different for the .ng domain? This is our address, and no one should be allowed to take it from us.”
Legislative Commitments:
Both the Senate and House Committees on ICT and Cybersecurity issued concrete pledges at the conference.
Senator Salisu and Hon. Olajide committed to fast-tracking the National Digital Economy and E-Government Bill currently at its final legislative stage alongside a revised National Cybercrime and Cybersecurity Bill aligned with the UN Convention on Cybercrime. They also called on NiRA to produce a draft legislative bill emerging from the conference communiqué, along with three to five measurable targets to be assessed at Tech Convergence 4.0.
“We want to move from well said to well done. Whatever legislative support is required, you can be assured we will take it, evangelize it, and implement it. Because the moment you deliver it to us, it is no longer yours,it is something we will own and run with.” – Hon. Stanley Olajide, Chairman, House Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity
Beyond Nigeria: Leading Africa’s Digital Conscience
Speaking in his capacity as Chairman of the West African Parliamentarians Network of Internet Governance, Senator Salisu called on NiRA to provide continental leadership in reclaiming IP address blocks allocated to Africa that have been diverted to other jurisdictions.
He argued that Nigeria with more JAMB applicants annually than the entire population of Gambia, and a data protection commission that African nations are travelling to study and replicate is not merely the Giant of Africa in name but the custodian of African digital conscience.
Hosting Nigeria Data on Nigerian Soil: The Case for Local Infrastructure
A recurring theme throughout the conference was the urgent need to migrate Nigeria’s institutional data currently dispersed across foreign clouds and foreign-domain platforms onto the .ng ecosystem.
The National Bureau of Statistics articulated the economic logic clearly: hosting on .ng improves accessibility, reduces latency, retains data under Nigerian jurisdiction, and creates domestic demand for local cloud services, data centers, and digital innovation.
Senator Salisu proposed bold structural interventions: requiring .ng email addresses for all JAMB applicants (over 2.5 million annually), mandating .ng domains for CAC-registered businesses and SMEDAN beneficiaries, and integrating .ng as a prerequisite for access to the Student Education Loan Fund. He further committed to accompanying NiRA leadership on courtesy visits to NIMC, BPP, NITDA, and other agencies to advocate for policy-level .ng mandates.
Launch of the .ng Ambassador Programme
One of the landmark announcements of Tech Convergence 3.0 was the formal introduction of the .ng Ambassador Programme, developed by NiRA’s .ng Academy Committee.
The programme is designed to build a structured network of high-influence advocates across government, industry, academia, and civil society who will champion .ng adoption within their spheres of authority.
Dr. Ibukun Odusote, Chairperson of the NiRA Board of Trustees, framed the initiative in unambiguous terms: the future growth of .ng cannot be achieved by NiRA alone.
The Ambassador Programme is not a marketing campaign, it is a strategic infrastructure for digital sovereignty, complementing NiRA’s existing pillars of policy advocacy, stakeholder engagement, capacity development, and market expansion.
“The .ng Ambassador Programme provides an opportunity for stakeholders to actively participate in shaping and promoting Nigeria’s digital future. Together, let us strengthen Nigeria’s digital independence. Together, let us build trust in our digital future.” – Dr. Ibukun Odusote, chairperson, NiRA Board of Trustees
“Digital independence does not mean isolation from the global internet. It means a secure, resilient, and competitive digital ecosystem that gives Nigeria greater control over its data, infrastructure, digital identity system, and online presence.” – Mr. Adesola Akinsaya, president, NiRA.
Meanwhile, NITDA expressed delight that its decision two decades ago to delegate .ng management to NiRA has been vindicated, and signalled openness to expanding NiRA’s mandate further as Nigeria’s digital ecosystem matures.
