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 complaints of rapid data depletion to customers’ online activities, device configurations and the growing use of high-speed internet technologies.

MTN Nigeria

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

Speaking at the session, a Senior Manager for Core Network Implementation at MTN Nigeria, Mr. Michael Ndukwe, said many subscribers misunderstand how internet data is consumed, especially with the widespread adoption of 4G and 5G networks.

“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 device merely connects to the network or undergoes authentication processes.

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

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 data 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.

The network expert noted that many subscribers compare current data usage patterns with experiences on older 2G and 3G networks without considering the impact of newer technologies.

He explained that faster networks support richer content and higher-quality experiences, which naturally result in increased data consumption.

Ndukwe identified video streaming as one of the largest drivers of data usage.

According to him, a 15-second TikTok video viewed in standard definition may consume between two and three megabytes of data, while the same video watched in high definition could use as much as 15 megabytes.

He said a one-gigabyte data bundle could support hundreds of standard-definition videos but significantly fewer high-definition clips.

Ndukwe also cited auto-play features on social media platforms such as TikTok, Facebook Reels and YouTube Shorts as major contributors to data consumption.

He explained that such applications often preload content in the background to prevent buffering, leading to data usage even when users are only scrolling through feeds.

“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.

He further identified hotspot sharing, cloud backups, automatic software updates and connected devices as factors that can accelerate data depletion.

According to him, many smartphones are configured to automatically synchronise photos, videos and application data, often during periods when users are not actively using their devices.

To illustrate the impact of high-speed networks, Ndukwe compared internet usage on 4G and 5G services to drinking water through a larger straw.

“If you have a cup of water and you’re sipping with a small straw, it will last longer. If you use a bigger straw, you’ll finish it faster. You’ll enjoy it more, but consumption is higher,” he said.

Also speaking, Mr. David Ogunshola of MTN’s Information Technology team said differences between data usage records displayed on customers’ devices and those recorded by network operators are normal.

Ogunshola explained that mobile devices typically measure user activities and application-level consumption, while network systems record the entire data session, including signalling and connectivity processes.

He said discrepancies may also arise from different measurement standards used by device manufacturers and telecommunications operators.

According to him, the differences are generally marginal but may become more noticeable as data volumes increase.

Ogunshola noted that the evolution from basic mobile phones to smartphones, smart televisions, gaming consoles and wearable devices has significantly increased data consumption due to demand for higher-quality digital experiences.

“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,” he said.

He urged subscribers to take advantage of available data management tools to monitor and control usage.

Ndukwe said MTN offers several customer tools, including the MyMTN application, data usage alerts and settings that allow users to limit background activities and set consumption thresholds.

He reaffirmed the company’s commitment to transparency and network improvement.

“Our promise is that we continue to invest heavily in network quality to give you the best experience and ensure that every megabyte you purchase delivers the experience that you expect,” he said.

Ndukwe assured customers that MTN would continue to invest in network infrastructure to improve service delivery and maintain transparency in data billing.