Distinguished members, partners, and stakeholders,
As I reflect on this September, I am reminded that progress is not just about technology; it is about people—people coming together across private, public, and community sectors to shape the future of our digital ecosystem.
That is why I am particularly excited about our upcoming Tech Convergence 2025. This edition is not just an event; it is a platform where stakeholders of Nigeria’s digital space are coming together to spotlight the importance of our digital identity and how we can build towards it.
We have with us industry leaders such as Mr. Muhammed Rudman, Prof. Muhammad Sirajo Aliyu, Dr Krishnan Ranganath from Africa Data Centres Nigeria, and others drawn from government, the private sector, and professional associations. You can find the list of confirmed speakers on our website. Visit www.nira.org.ng/techconvergence to learn more and secure your attendance.
This September, nominations for the 8th .ng Awards were open. This year’s .ng Awards will be bigger and more memorable, as we will also be celebrating 20 years of NiRA. It will be a moment to not only honour excellence and innovation within our ecosystem but also reflect on two decades of impact, resilience, and growth of the .ng domain as Nigeria’s digital identity. There are 19 award categories, and I encourage you to check them out and nominate deserving organizations via www.nira.org.ng/ngawards2025. This is how we recognize and reward those shaping Nigeria’s online identity through the .ng domain.
Beyond our shores, NiRA continues to make its presence felt in continental conversations. At the Africa Internet Summit in Ghana, where we actively participated, we reflected not only on where Nigeria is headed but also on how far we have come.
Our internet journey has come a long way from a time when access in Nigeria was limited to just email, to 1995, when Yaba College of Technology became the first institution in Nigeria to be connected to the internet beyond email through the Regional Information Network of Africa (RINAF). By 1996, the Nigerian Communications Commission had licensed 38 Internet Service Providers, laying the groundwork for broader connectivity. Fast forward to 2024, and today, over 139 million Nigerians have access to the internet. This remarkable growth is not by chance — it is a testament to resilience, innovation, and a collective belief that Nigeria must not only consume technology but actively shape it.
At NiRA, we see the .ng domain as a critical digital asset for Nigeria, one that secures our sovereignty, drives our economy, and tells our story to the world.
Together, let us continue to lead with vision, emphasizing that .ng is not just a domain, but a critical infrastructure of Nigeria’s future.
Thank you.
Adesola Akinsanya,
President, NiRA