Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) has tasked its registrars with the contribution of innovative ideas to increase the adoption of the .ng domain. The Association, which maintains the database of names registered on the .ng country code Top-Level Domain (ccTLD), analysed its domain growth report during the second edition of the 2022 Registrar’s Forum held virtually on NiRA’s Zoom platform on the 6th of September 2022.
The forum is designed to engage with the Accredited Registrars, inform them about NiRA’s updated policies, and find ways to support their businesses. NiRA’s President, Muhammed Rudman, while addressing Registrars at the Forum noted that since the price reduction in March 2022, there had been a marginal increase in domain name registrations as well as renewals. He further urged the Registrars to drop their prices a little more, reiterating that the goal remains to increase the number of .ng domain names registered, by encouraging more people to adopt .ng.
NiRA’s Accredited Registrars make domain names available for registration as they are the customer-facing partners for the delivery of NiRA’s mandate. The President, using the medium, introduced the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau as a stakeholder organisation during the Forum, and urged Registrars to take relevant notes for the appropriate handling of Registrants’ data. Ms. Leena Abba, from the Strategy, Partnership, and Communications unit of the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB) who represented the Bureau during the Forum, shared that with emerging technologies leading us to a data-driven society, companies are generating more revenue directly or indirectly from data, hence its importance. She cautioned that personal data must not be manipulated and charged businesses to act by meeting mandatory requirements of the data protection regulation.
On the behalf of the Registrars, the representative of Oasis Management Company, Mr. Maduka expressed his gratitude to the registry for a job well done, affirming that it has been a smooth ride with the Registry. He regarded the meeting as phenomenal considering that it had enlightening sessions with topics relevant to running businesses and suggesting coping mechanisms in a challenging business and economic climate. The President in his closing remark appreciated NiRA Board members in attendance and the Secretariat for the concerted efforts to deliver the Forum. He also thanked all Registrars for their participation and looked forward to a physical meeting later in the year to further engage the Registrar Community.
