The just-concluded Africa Internet Governance Forum (AfIGF) 2025 brought together a diverse group of stakeholders from across the continent and beyond to shape the future of Africa’s digital landscape. Held in the vibrant city of Dar es Salaam, the forum served as a vital platform for important conversations around policy, access, digital rights, data governance, and cybersecurity. Representing the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) were Bimbo Aderibigbe and Atinuke Adesanya from the secretariat, who actively participated in several high-level discussions.
The forum saw robust representation from governments, civil society, academia, the private sector, and the technical community. Youth and grassroots initiatives also had a strong voice, underscoring the continent’s commitment to the multi-stakeholder model of internet governance. Discussions emphasized the urgent need for alignment between national digital policies and broader continental goals such as the AU Agenda 2063, with several speakers advocating for harmonized data protection laws and enforcement mechanisms that reflect global standards.
There was a strong emphasis on promoting local content, language inclusion, and strategies to improve digital access for underserved communities. Investment in infrastructure, public-private partnerships, and digital literacy were seen as critical to unlocking Africa’s potential in the digital space. Cybersecurity was also a central theme, with stakeholders calling for stronger regional frameworks to address rising cyber threats and build digital trust. Tools for enhancing domain name security, encryption, and cross-border cooperation were presented as key priorities.
A notable focus was placed on youth and gender inclusion. Innovators from across Africa showcased tech-driven projects, and discussions centered on empowering young people through entrepreneurship, education, and digital opportunities, while also tackling the gender digital divide.
As representatives of Nigeria’s .ng domain, NiRA contributed meaningfully to discussions led by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) under the Coalition for Digital Africa initiative. Ms. Aderibigbe and Mrs. Adesanya were involved in conversations around Universal Acceptance (UA), domain governance, internet infrastructure, and regional cooperation. NiRA reaffirmed its dedication to privacy, registrar ecosystem development, and the adoption of DNSSEC in line with international best practices.
Key takeaways from NiRA’s participation included the need for deeper collaboration among African ccTLD registries and the importance of Universal Acceptance (UA)—which ensures that all domain names, including new top-level domains, Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs), and domain-based emails, are treated equally. NiRA highlighted its ongoing efforts with Nigerian universities to adopt .ng domains for institutional websites and official communication, further strengthening national digital identity. The association also shared insights on WHOIS privacy redaction and trust-building through a well-structured registrar accreditation framework.
As the forum concluded, there was a clear sense of collective ambition. The AfIGF 2025 reaffirmed a united vision of a digitally resilient, inclusive, and self-determined Africa. Participants called for stronger regional internet governance frameworks, open and inclusive policy-making processes, support for grassroots digital literacy efforts, and continued investment in Africa’s digital infrastructure and innovation landscape.