As part of its commitment to fast-track Nigeria’s digital economy, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has officially approved the 2025 Annual Report and the 2026 Business Plan of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA).

The Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, receives the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) Annual Report from its President, Adesola Akinsanya, after a briefing on the Association’s yearly activities, milestones, and ongoing efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s internet and digital landscape

The approval came during a meeting at NITDA headquarters where NiRA’s President, Mr. Adesola Akinsanya led his board members to present the association’s 2026 vision to NITDA Director General, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE.

Following the approval, both organisations expressed the resolve to reinforce their collaborative efforts to ensure smooth, rapid execution of their shared goals of increasing the adoption of the .ng domain across

To actualise the business plan, the DG directed NiRA to work hand-in-hand with NITDA’s e-Governance and Digital Economy Department for effective implementation, daily updates, and project tracking.

“You have my full approval for these initiatives. Let us change our strategy, sync up more closely, and ensure everything we have agreed upon during this presentation is fully implemented by next year,” Inuwa declared.

Highlighting some of NiRA’s impressive achievements achievements over the past year, Akinsanya said 98,285 new registrations, 71,470 renewals, and 1,970 restorations were recorded in 2025, while there are 241,000 active domains.

Beyond the numbers, NiRA also implemented important security upgrades, including the Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC), for a more secure and resilient internet experience for local users, as well as improvements in registrar support and engagement.

Looking into the future, Akinsanya said NiRA is intensifying action to make .ng and .gov.ng domains the gold standard across the country. He expressed gratitude for NITDA’s ongoing support, calling for joint awareness campaigns and digital capacity-building to bring more state governments, local councils, and public institutions under the secure official domain.

Also, the NiRA president added that the association is updating its internal systems, introducing automation, and revising its constitution to meet globally acceptable standards to ensure sustainable growth.

“NiRA is looking into deeper stakeholder engagement and moving into areas where we see massive possibilities. We are specifically targeting startups and aligning with tech events across the country. With stronger collaboration, we can drive widespread adoption across every tier of government’’, Akinsanya said.

TikTok users in UK are being warned to keep an eye out for tax scams after two men were arrested in east London over an alleged scheme involving £153 million in fraudulent claims.

TikTok

The pair, aged 22 and 25, have been accused of luring Brits into giving away their personal tax details by offering financial rewards over the app.

Investigators believe they then used those details to lodge false claims worth tens of millions of pounds, claims which were ultimately blocked by HMRC.

The tax body is now urging social media users to be skeptical of posts that promise “risk-free” rewards in return for their tax information.

That information, HMRC warned, is then used to apply for fraudulent tax repayments. Because the criminals hide their identity, it is the person whose details were used who will owe money to HMRC as a result. Similar scams are also run on apps such as Instagram and Snapchat.

TikTokers arrested in London after ?running 153,000,000 tax scam? over app

Simon Grunwell, HMRC’s head of cybercrime investigations, told users to “protect your personal tax details in the same way you protect your bank details.”

He added: “Claims of quick, risk-free cash in return for sharing your personal information are a scam. They aim to defraud you and the taxpayer.”

The two Romanian men involved in the alleged TikTok scheme were arrested in Newham on April 23.

They were accused of offences under the Fraud Act, the Serious Crime Act, the Computer Misuse Act, and the Proceeds of Crime Act. Both have since been released on bail, and the investigation is ongoing

MTN Nigeria has dismissed allegations of internet data theft on its network, attributing rapid data depletion to users’ online activities and device configurations, while also blaming persistent network quality challenges on fibre cuts, vandalism, power failures and congestion.

MTN

The telecommunications company made the clarifications during an engagement with journalists and content creators in Lagos, where its engineers and technology experts addressed concerns about data consumption, billing practices and service quality.

Speaking at the session, MTN Nigeria’s Senior Manager for Core Network Implementation, Mr. Michael Ndukwe, said many subscribers misunderstand how internet data is consumed, particularly with the increasing adoption of 4G and 5G technologies.

“We usually hear the concern that MTN is stealing my data. I’m here to take you step by step through exactly how your data is used,” he said.

Ndukwe explained that data is not consumed when a mobile device merely connects to the network or undergoes authentication processes.

According to him, significant data usage only begins when users actively request online content such as videos, downloads or web pages.

He said the network first verifies that a subscriber is registered, has an active data bundle and is authorised to access internet services before establishing a session.

“Data is not taken from you without your action. When you stream, scroll, download or share, you are using data. It’s as simple as that,” he said.

Ndukwe noted that many subscribers compare current data consumption patterns with experiences on older 2G and 3G networks without considering the impact of faster technologies.

He explained that 4G and 5G networks are designed to support richer content and improved user experiences, resulting in higher data usage.

According to him, video streaming remains one of the biggest drivers of data consumption.

He said a 15-second TikTok video viewed in standard definition could consume between two and three megabytes of data, while the same clip watched in high definition could use up to 15 megabytes.

Ndukwe also identified auto-play features on social media platforms, hotspot sharing, cloud backups, software updates and connected devices as factors responsible for rapid depletion of data bundles.

“Even before you click a video, they keep changing. Those apps are already downloading content in the background so that there is no buffering,” he said.

Also speaking, Mr. David Ogunshola of MTN’s Information Technology team said discrepancies between data usage records displayed on customer devices and those recorded by the network were normal.

According to him, devices typically track application-level usage, while network systems record the entire data session, including signalling and connectivity processes.

“The more sophisticated the device, the more it is optimised for quality. If you do not adjust those configurations, the device will always try to give you the best possible experience, and that comes with higher data usage,” Ogunshola said.

On service quality concerns, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Technical Officer (CTO), Mr. Yahaya Ibrahim, attributed network disruptions to a combination of infrastructure challenges and environmental factors.

He explained that MTN’s network operates through interconnected layers, from base stations serving customers to transmission links and core network facilities that route traffic to the internet.

“Today, if you switch on your phone, your phone will try to locate the nearest station to it. And the station that has the best power to give you the best signal, your phone will latch on to that,” he said.

Ibrahim said network quality often deteriorates when sites become congested, experience power outages, run out of diesel or suffer equipment failures.

He identified fibre cuts, vandalism, sabotage and road construction activities as some of the major threats to network infrastructure.

“As we speak, we are having at least 35 to 40 fibre cuts a day because of our environment.

“Road construction, vandalisation, sabotage, these are things that really impact us,” he said.

The CTO disclosed that MTN recorded an average of two vandalised sites daily in 2025, with a total of 152 sites affected during the period.

According to him, generators, solar power systems, batteries and other critical telecommunications equipment were among assets targeted by vandals.

He explained that damage to a fibre route or hub site could disrupt connectivity across multiple communities because many network locations rely on shared transmission infrastructure.

Ibrahim said MTN had deployed personnel nationwide to patrol and monitor its facilities in an effort to reduce vandalism and protect network assets.

He urged Nigerians to safeguard telecommunications infrastructure, noting that attacks on such facilities affected entire communities and businesses that depend on reliable connectivity.

The MTN officials reaffirmed the company’s commitment to transparency in data billing and continued investment in network infrastructure to improve customer experience.

They said subscribers could also utilise tools such as the MyMTN application, data usage alerts and data management settings to monitor and control their consumption.

MTN has faced increasing complaints from customers over rapid data depletion, dropped calls, slow internet speeds and unstable connectivity, but the company insists that user behaviour, device settings and infrastructure-related challenges account for most of the concerns.