Nigeria’s digital economy continues to gain momentum, and the latest .ng domain report for February 2026 provided strong evidence of this upward trajectory.

In February, the .ng namespace recorded a net increase of 1,121 domain registrations, signalling growing confidence in Nigeria’s local Internet ecosystem and a rising awareness of the importance of owning a distinct digital identity.

Latest data from the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) showed that over 80 per cent of the new registrations, representing 839 domains, were recorded across industry-focused extensions such as .com.ng, .org.ng, .name.ng, .gov.ng, and .edu.ng. This concentration reflected a more intentional approach to domain adoption, where individuals, businesses, and institutions are aligning their online presence with clearly defined identities and functions.

NiRA noted that commercial domains continued to drive this growth. It said more than 60 per cent of the 839 industry-focused registrations were within commercial extensions such as .com.ng, highlighting a strong shift among Nigerian businesses toward establishing credible and structured digital platforms. This signals that more businesses are moving beyond reliance on social media platforms and are instead investing in owned digital assets that enhance trust, improve discoverability, and strengthen brand positioning.

This pattern of growth, according to NiRA, is significant, suggesting that Nigerian businesses increasingly understand that a localised domain is not just a web address, but a strategic tool for visibility and long-term growth within the local market. At the same time, the adoption of domains such as .gov.ng and .edu.ng indicated a strengthening of trusted digital presence across government and educational institutions, further reinforcing confidence in the .ng ecosystem.

“The February 2026 figures point to more than just numerical growth; they reflect a maturing digital landscape where ownership, trust, and national identity are becoming central to how Nigerians engage online. As adoption continues to rise, the .ng domain is positioning itself as a critical layer of Nigeria’s digital infrastructure, supporting innovation, enabling business growth, and advancing the broader vision of a secure and resilient national Internet ecosystem,” NiRA stated.

According to the President, Adesola Akinsanya, “As we continue to grow our digital economy and strengthen the adoption of the .ng domain, trust must remain at the centre of our Internet ecosystem. This requires not only aligning with global best practices but also ensuring that our local implementation of DNS infrastructure, registry oversight, registrar operations, and security standards is robust, responsive, and forward-looking.

“DNS abuse mitigation is not the responsibility of any single actor. It requires coordinated action across registries, registrars, policymakers, and the broader Internet community.”

Akinsanya noted that beyond global policy conversations, it is equally important that “we continue to invest in capacity building within our own ecosystem, particularly across Africa.

“In this regard, our participation in the recent ccTLD capacity building programme in Kenya provided a valuable opportunity to engage, learn, and collaborate with fellow African registry operators. The programme focused on critical areas including registry operations and DNS management, policy development, cybersecurity and DNS abuse mitigation, stakeholder engagement, and multistakeholder governance, as well as strategic registry growth and sustainability.”