Telecom
NiRA Parleys Registrars to Deepen .ng Domain Adoption
Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), the Registry for .ng Internet Domain Names, which maintains the database of names registered on the .ng country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD), has tasked her Registrars on innovative solutions to increase the adoption of .ng domain names.
Giving his opening remarks during NiRA Registrars Forum held on Tuesday, November 07, 2021, Muhammed Rudman, President of NiRA, thanked the Registrars for their efforts towards the growth of .ng domain names.
Rudman noted that the growth of .ng could be attributed to continuous efforts by the Executive Board, and staff of NiRA as well as the discounts offered during the .ng promo.
He added that the fall in the value of naira has made it clear that it is capital flight to register non- .ng domain names.
Update from the second .ng promo
Toba Obaniyi, Vice President of NiRA provided an update regarding the ongoing promo.
He stated that the .ng domains were sold to Registrants at a discounted price, as a way of making the domain names more accessible to many.
He said that although there was an increase in registrations, compared to previous months, the expected number of registrations has not been attained.
Obaniyi stated that in addition to the price reduction, NiRA introduced a 50% refund of Registrars’ marketing costs for the period of the promo.
He informed the meeting that 31 Registrars indicated interest in the promo and in two months, a noticeable increase had been observed on the number of registrations.
Obaniyi also said there was need for a few Registrars yet to adjust their prices to do so and that Registrars need to be more involved in ensuring the sector thrives.
In his comment, Aransiola Damilola, Chief Growth Officer at WhoGoHost, advised that the promo should be moved to hold at the beginning of the year rather than towards the end, “when people are already closing up”.
Feedback from Registrars’ community
The feedback from Registrars’ community indicated that it will be great for .ng to match .com domain pricing to improve adoption.
Ike Ezeji, Programme Officer at NiRA spoke on the proposed training for NiRA Accredited Registrars in 2022. They include:
● Linux
● Networking
● DNS Security
● Digital Marketing
● Business Marketing
● Effective Service Delivery
The Forum resolved among other things, to further engage stakeholders on enforcement of price reduction. NiRA is also expected to lead a campaign for the compulsory adoption of .gov.ng by government agencies, which is in line with the provisions of the Federal Government’s policy statement.
As one of the recommendations for creating awareness around .ng, the Registrars advised that campaigns be carried out in schools.
In his comment, Rev’d Sunday Folayan, former President, NiRA said: “One thing we shouldn’t ignore is that there are government policies that totally weigh on the adoption of .ng”.
He gave the example of the government’s ban on Twitter as a risk factor.
He therefore proposed the need for a change of negative perspectives and mindsets.
Responding to this, Rudman said NiRA cannnot predict government policies but can continue to show the sector in a good light, focused on making people accept and stick to the .ng domain.
In his closing remarks, Rudman said NiRA will continue to look for innovative solutions to all issues brought forward and appreciated the efforts of the Registrars, Board Members and staff.
He announced that the meeting will be held twice a year to relate more with Registrars, keeping track of their endeavours and progress.
It was evident from attendance and engagement at the meeting, that NiRA is willing to engage strategically with all stakeholders in her efforts to increase the uptake of .ng domain names.
Nigeria’s telecom operators recorded 155, 397 fibre-cut incidents between April and May 2026, and these they blame on why internet or calls suddenly stop working.
Data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) showed fibre-cut incidents increased from 74 276 in April to a record 79 121 in May, bringing the two-month total to the highest level recorded by the industry.
This represents a 2 428% increase from the 5 934 incidents reported during the first quarter of 2026.
Vandalism remained the leading cause of fibre cuts, accounting for more than 54 000 incidents despite telecom infrastructure being designated as Critical National Information Infrastructure, a classification intended to strengthen protection of key digital assets.
Also road construction constantly damages fiber where iggers and machines tear up buried cables during road repairs or construction.
Even with all these, some state governments make it hard for companies to fix cables quickly across different areas with all manners of fees and levies.
The NCC designation provides for penalties of up to 10 years’ imprisonment for offenders, but operators continue to face widespread infrastructure damage.
Proposed solutions, including Nigeria’s Dig-Once policy and AI-powered fibre sensing technologies, have yet to achieve widespread adoption.
The NCC is developing a cost-based framework for shared underground duct infrastructure, while operators are exploring AI-powered fibre sensing technologies that can detect cable damage in real time and improve network resilience.
Nigeria is pursuing ambitious broadband targets under its National Broadband Plan and has expanded fibre deployment to about 35 000 kilometres.
However, infrastructure protection has not kept pace with network expansion, leaving subscribers vulnerable to unreliable connectivity despite continued operator investment.
Standard Bank has partnered with Helios Towers to provide a $29 million Social Documentary Credit Facility. According to the financial services company, this transaction marks Standard Bank’s first Documentary Credit Facility structured in a Sustainable Finance format.
It notes that the facility will support the procurement and importation of telecommunications infrastructure and related services across Africa.
It will also provide payment certainty to suppliers, while supporting Helios Towers’ working capital requirements and infrastructure expansion programme, the bank adds.
Structured in accordance with the Loan Market Association’s Social Loan Principles, the financing is designed to promote digital connectivity and telecommunications infrastructure development in underserved markets.
This will help Helios Towers further expand its footprint and enhance mobile network coverage and connectivity across the continent.
Helios Towers operates one of Africa’s independent telecommunications tower platforms, enabling mobile network operators to extend coverage across multiple markets.
Standard Bank notes that the facility supports the expansion of tower infrastructure and services, increased network densification and improved connectivity in underserved markets and remote regions across the African continent.
It will also drive digital inclusion and tackle the digital divide while supporting economic growth and socio-economic development.
“This transaction demonstrates the power of innovation in trade finance. By combining a first-to-market Social Documentary Credit Facility with a cross-border funding solution, Standard Bank has supported Helios Towers’ growth ambitions while helping extend digital connectivity to underserved communities across Africa,” says Benoit Samouilhan, global transaction banker at Standard Bank Corporate and Investment Banking.
According to the bank, this facility enables positive social impact by increasing and improving network coverage and connectivity in some of the world’s most remote regions.
“Reliable digital infrastructure is fundamental to Africa’s future growth and development,” says Alex Carter, group finance director at Helios Towers.
“This facility provides us with the flexibility and certainty needed to support our ongoing infrastructure investments while advancing our mission of expanding connectivity across the continent. We value our longstanding relationship with Standard Bank and look forward to building on this partnership.”
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will on Thursday convene a stakeholders’ consultative forum to review the draft business rules for Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) in Nigeria.
NCC
The forum, scheduled to hold at 10 a.m. at the NCC Annex Office, Mbora, Abuja, is expected to bring together telecommunications operators, industry associations and other stakeholders to provide input on the proposed regulatory framework before its finalisation.
The commission announced the event on its official social media platforms, inviting interested stakeholders to participate in the consultation process.
The engagement is part of the NCC’s efforts to strengthen the regulatory framework for MVNO operations and promote greater competition, innovation and consumer choice in Nigeria’s telecommunications sector.
Mobile Virtual Network Operators are telecommunications service providers that offer mobile services by leasing network capacity from licensed Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), rather than owning spectrum licences or telecommunications infrastructure.
The NCC has identified the MVNO licensing framework as one of its initiatives aimed at deepening competition, expanding access to telecommunications services and driving digital inclusion across the country.
The consultative forum is expected to provide stakeholders with the opportunity to review the draft business rules, make recommendations and contribute to the development of a robust operational framework for the emerging MVNO segment.
The commission is expected to issue further details on the outcome of the consultation after the meeting.
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