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E-Business

.ng Domain Registrations Hit 18, 870 in December

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Mary Uduma, president, NIRA
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Although, the month of December 2014 recorded a drop in the .ng domain name purchase activities by the registrants, so far, as at December 31, 2014, there were 18,870 domain names registered.

According to Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), domain names are not popular gift items, hence there was also a slight decrease in the number of domain names renewed in the same month mainly due to the Christmas and New Year festivals and celebrations.

Interestingly, there was a remarkable increase in the transfer window. This could be traced to entrance of new registrars.

Additional 1,503 domain names were registered, with renewal of 820 domain names and transfer of only 106 domain names.

The total activities of .ng domain names in December 2014, was less than in the month of November 2014. So far this year, as at December 31, 2014, there were 18,870 domain names registered.

The number of NiRA Accredited Registrars remained at 47, with some applications for Registrar registration undergoing processing.

Speaking on the activities of the Association’s activities in the year under review, Mrs. Mary Uduma, the president, said that despite not meeting the set target in 2014 in terms of domain name registrations, the Association witnessed good year with increase in awareness of .ng domain names and domain business in Nigeria.

She said, NiRA saw a growth in the number of Registrars and domain names and setting the stage for more growth in all spheres of the domain name business in Nigeria.

According to Uduma, “NiRA participated in many awareness programmes/ events and hosted events geared at publicity awareness of .ng domain names and .ng ccTLD. NiRA hosted the Nigeria Internet Governance Forum (NIGF) in June 2014 and also had the opportunity of hosting Africa in Abuja in July 2014 during the ‘Africa DNS Forum’”.

“NiRA participated actively in the Africa Internet Governance Forum (AfIGF) in July 2014 and eNigeria all hosted in Abuja, ‘Nigerian Content Consultative Forum’ at Bayelsa, ‘Standard for IT Park’ at Enugu hosted by NITDA and numerous other progammes in the bid to continue creating the awareness of the .ng ccTLD and its operations. NiRA was also at ICANN, AFTLD, IGF and GITEX events last year.

“NiRA entertained students of Federal University, Dutsin-ma, Katsina State, provided support at ‘Kano ICT Quiz 2014 with CITAD’, ‘Next CEO Youth Empowerment’ at LASU, ‘Global Hope and Justice for the Less Privileged at the training of Nigerian Youths with disability on ICT’, ‘Digital Peers International Programme- Agricultural Transformation using ICT’ and many other numerous local programmes”.

She described the growth of NiRA and domain names as very paramount.

Uduma said, “With the commitment and efforts of NiRA Board of Trustees, Executive Board members, staff, Registrars and Registrants, targets were set to increase the number of domain names and the accreditation of registrars. Reasonable increases and progress were made in the .ng domain name business. Even though the growth of NiRA is commendable, the journey is still far from being the best Registry in Africa”.

She added that he Association is competing in a global market and is set to work more vigorously throughout 2015 and in years ahead towards realizing set goals.

“We will not relent. We shall continue to strive for greater achievements and with God on our side and the support of the industry, we shall get there. NiRA remains committed to the growth of .ng domain names and putting forth our best efforts towards growth of the .ng ccTLD and providing the needed support to our teeming Registrars and by extension to our Registrants”.

She said that NiRA is geared to listening to industry forces and paying attention to global trends and would expand our sales to include opening up other zones and release of two letters word domain names to the public. Also we intend to reduce the number of premium domain names and pleaded industry stakeholders continued support to their programmes.

 

 


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E-Business

BPP Partners NDPC to Strengthen Data Protection

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Dr Adebowale Adedokun, director-general, Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), has reaffirmed the bureau’s commitment to data protection in Nigeria.

BPP Partners NDPC to Strengthen Data Protection

He disclosed this in a statement at the weekend by Zira Nagga, head of Public Relations, BPP, following a courtesy visit by a delegation from the National Data Protection Commission (NDPC).

Adedokun stressed that data protection is vital to Nigeria’s economy and development, particularly in areas such as demography, health, education, and other key sectors.

He emphasised that no country should leave its data unprotected, as it plays a crucial role in future planning and national development.

“Data governs the world. It is essential to technological progress and must be protected for a country or business to be taken seriously,” he said.

Adedokun described the visit, aimed at fostering partnership on data policy implementation and protection, as timely and aligned with national goals.

He said the BPP would collaborate closely with the NDPC to boost data development, capacity building, and enhance the procurement system.

“The BPP will support compliance as part of the ‘Nigeria First’ Policy, although it is not a core procurement eligibility requirement,” he explained.

He suggested a hybrid training model to help build strong capacity in data protection, privacy awareness, and policy understanding.

According to him, a dynamic training approach will reduce logistics costs and improve public confidence in data safety and privacy.

Dr Vincent Olatunji, CEO, and national commissioner, NDPC, praised Adedokun and the BPP for supporting data protection initiatives.

He said the partnership supports President Bola Tinubu’s vision and will strengthen data privacy across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

“The collaboration will create awareness and train BPP staff to ensure a firm grasp of data protection principles and policies,” he stated.

Olatunji said the NDPC would establish a working group to finalise a Memorandum of Understanding beneficial to both institutions.

He added that President Tinubu signed the NDPC into law on 12 June 2023 to uphold citizens’ rights and protect national and business data.

Olatunji also noted that strict legal measures were in place to enforce data protection and ensure full compliance nationwide.

Both agencies agreed to form a team to sign the MoU and focus on capacity building and data management in procurement and beyond.

 

 


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FG Mulls Fibre Optic Layout to Bridge Internet Gaps

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President Bola Tinubu said that his administration has initiated a project to install fibre optic cables across the country, aimed at enhancing the socio-economic development of Nigeria.

FG Mulls Fibre Optic Layout to Bridge Internet Gaps

His plans were contained in a speech he delivered at a joint session of the National Assembly in commemoration of Democracy Day on Thursday, June 12.

He said the fibre optic layout is part of other projects being embarked on.

“In addition, we have embarked on an ambitious project to lay fibre optic cables across the nation, a transformative step toward bridging the digital divide and fostering greater connectivity.

“This initiative promises not only to enhance the speed and reliability of internet access but also to revolutionise how businesses operate, how students learn, and how communities stay connected,” Tinubu stated.

He maintained that by extending this critical infrastructure, his government is empowering entrepreneurs, enabling digital education, and providing the tools for our youth to compete in a globalised world.

In a most recent report on Internet connectivity, The ICIR pointed out how Nigeria has faced setbacks in its deployment of fibre optic cables and needs a transformation.

The challenges revolve around vandalism, inadequate coordination between road construction and telecom infrastructure, and varying right-of-way (RoW) charges across states.

Among industry experts, these issues impact network outages, increase repair costs, and hinder broadband expansion efforts.

It has also further threatened the digital economy, leading to slower Internet speeds, dropped calls, and unreliable connectivity among others.


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African Startups Raised $345m in Funding in May

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African startups raised more than $345 million across 65 deals in May, more than double the amount raised in the same period of last year, according to a report by Briter, a research and business intelligence firm.

The report disclosed that both the number of deals and participating companies declined, confirming a growing trend of fewer companies raising funds in larger sizes.

It said fintech attracted the highest share of funding in May, accounting for 34 percent of the total, while cleantech followed closely, driven by a debt deal from Sun King. The company raised $80 million (in local currency) to expand clean energy access in Nigeria.

“Equity remains the primary instrument in terms of total value. There’s no doubt about it; in fact, equity deals with disclosed amounts captured more than half of the total funding volume in May.

“However, debt financing is increasingly proving its weight. Although it accounted for only 8 percent of all deals, it represented 32 percent of the total funding, highlighting the typically larger size of debt transactions. With the rise of specialised vehicles targeting early-stage businesses, debt is becoming an increasingly important part of Africa’s innovation funding landscape,” it said.

Briter’s report added that grants continued to play a vital role in early-stage support, especially in the education technology (EdTech) sector. The Mastercard Foundation led the pack in grant activity, funding a new cohort of EdTech innovators in Nigeria and Kenya. Each selected startup is set to receive $100,000 in grant funding, in addition to mentorship and business development support.

Multilaterals also made a strong showing in May, it said. The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), a World Bank Group member, issued a $179.6 million guarantee to CleanTech firm KOKO Networks. The support will help scale its clean energy solutions across Kenya.

“This deal not only demonstrates growing international confidence in African climate ventures but also signals a promising pathway for other asset-intensive startups in clean cooking, agriculture, and renewable energy,” the report said.

From a geographic perspective, Egypt emerged as the continent’s fundraising powerhouse for the month, contributing 51 percent of all funding raised. The country recorded 12 deals across equity, debt, and bond instruments. Notably, FinTech platform MNT-Halan raised $50 million through a bond issuance, further illustrating the diversification of capital-raising mechanisms in the region.

Outside Egypt, funding was distributed across Africa’s three other key markets, which are Egypt, Nigeria, and Kenya, with limited activity recorded in countries such as Ghana, Tunisia, Morocco, and Uganda, each registering between one and three deals.

In terms of exits, the African tech landscape continues to mature. Three companies—Baobab+, Qardy, and Shopa—were acquired in May, bringing the total number of exits this year to 22. This already surpasses last year’s count for the same period. Qardy was acquired by Catalyst Partners Middle East (CPME) in a disclosed deal valued at $23 million, the report added.

 


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