At the heart of Abuja’s Transcorp Hilton, a sense of national purpose filled the air.
Government officials, lawmakers, and tech leaders gathered under one banner, to define what it truly means for a country to own its place in the digital world.
This was Tech Convergence 2.0, and the message was unmistakable: Nigeria must take ownership of its digital identity through the .ng domain.
Organized by the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), the event brought together high-ranking policymakers, including representatives from the Nigerian Senate, the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
Their collective call was urgent and unified, to accelerate the adoption of the .ng country code Top-Level Domain (ccTLD) across public and private sectors as a matter of national identity, pride, and sovereignty.
“We now live in a digital world, and we must also take ownership of our presence online,” declared Senator Diket Plang, who represented Senator Godswill Akpabio, the president of the Senate, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“For us, the true mark of that ownership is through the .ng domain.”
Digital Identity as National Identity
The theme of the conference, “Nigeria First Online”, was not just a slogan; it was a vision. It called for digital patriotism, urging Nigerians to support homegrown internet infrastructure and services as part of the country’s broader Made-in-Nigeria initiative championed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Stakeholders emphasized that Nigeria’s digital identity is an extension of its national identity, and that protecting and promoting the .ng domain is both a patriotic act and a strategic necessity in a world where governance, commerce, and innovation are increasingly digital-first.
Although Nigeria’s .ng domain ranks second in Africa in registration volume, participants agreed that there’s still much ground to cover in achieving full-scale adoption.
“We must understand that we are stakeholders in our Internet space and must promote what is ours,” added Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu, chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity.
Building Digital Trust through Local Ownership
For Adesola Akinsanya, president of NiRA, the .ng domain represents far more than an internet address.
“.ng is a symbol of Nigerian digital pride,” she said. “Our mission is to build trust through the Nigerian identity online and ensure every Nigerian is identifiable through our digital identity, the .ng domain.”
Mrs. Ibukun Odusote, chairperson of NiRA’s Board of Trustees, echoed this sentiment, urging public and private sector organizations to prioritize the use of local digital infrastructure.
“There should be an urgent need to adopt what is ours, which is the .ng domain,” she said.
Representing NITDA, a spokesperson underscored that digital infrastructure has evolved beyond communication, it now forms the backbone of national innovation and governance.
“The internet has gone beyond just communication; it’s an infrastructure for innovation and identity,” the representative emphasized.
Government’s Commitment: From Policy to Practice
Dr. Adebowale Adedokun, director general of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), disclosed that the Bureau is already working to ensure that all communications across Nigeria’s over 120,000 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) migrate to the .ng domain.
This, he explained, will not only protect national data sovereignty but also ensure consistency, security, and trust in government communications.
“Every government email, website, and service should reflect Nigeria’s digital identity. That is what strengthens our national brand online,” he said.
A Call to Action: Owning Our Narrative Online
For Oluwaseyi Onasanya, chief operating officer of NiRA, the discussion went beyond policy and technology, it was about national consciousness.
“Nigerians need to adopt .ng to allow us to own our narrative online,” he said, describing digital identity ownership as a collective responsibility that builds unity and trust in the digital space.
As the event concluded, one message resonated through the hall: Nigeria’s digital identity must be owned, built, and secured by Nigerians.
Tech Convergence 2.0 was more than a conference, it was a national call to action. A reminder that in the digital age, patriotism isn’t just about flying the flag, it’s about hosting it. And for Nigeria, that flag flies under .ng.
