Nigeria has climbed to second place in the Africa Domain Name Industry, according to a study by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in collaboration with PowerSoft Africa. The report highlights significant growth and infrastructure developments in Nigeria’s domain name system (DNS), positioning the country ahead of many African peers.
Key Highlights from the Report:
– Domain Registrations: As of November 2023, there are 4.33 million country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) and an additional 1.4 million generic top-level domains (gTLDs) registered by African entities.
– Growth Rate: The continent’s annual growth rate in domain names is projected at 12.4%, indicating significant opportunities for local providers.
– Internet Costs: High internet access costs remain a barrier, with the average African spending about 4% of their monthly income on 1GB of data, double the global target for affordability.
– Infrastructure: Over 1.1 million kilometers of terrestrial and submarine fiber cables enhance internet connectivity across Africa. However, web content and domain hosting are concentrated in a few countries, underscoring the need for localized internet services.
Nigeria’s Specific Achievements:
– Undersea Cables: Like South Africa and Kenya, Nigeria benefits from multiple undersea cables.
– ccTLD Management: Nigeria’s ccTLD (.ng) is well-managed, with six Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) and multiple data centers.
– Internet Users: Nigeria boasts the highest number of internet users on the continent.
– Domain Registrations: The .ng domain has surpassed 215,000 registrations, a significant increase reflecting the country’s growing DNS industry.
Insights from Stakeholders:
– ICANN’s Interim President & CEO, Sally Costerton: Highlighted the study’s role in understanding the DNS landscape’s evolution and identifying future growth opportunities. She emphasized ICANN’s commitment to supporting Africa’s internet infrastructure.
– NiRA President, Adesola Akinsanya: Expressed delight at Nigeria’s progress in the DNS industry, attributing success to collective efforts by NiRA, its executive board, registrars, and stakeholders. He stressed the importance of continuing to push for higher adoption of the .ng domain.
– Smartweb Nigeria Limited CEO, Murtala Abdullahi: Noted the increasing acceptance of the .ng domain, emphasizing Nigeria’s advantage due to its large population and the growing interest in local domain names.
– DigitalSENSE Africa Media’s Lead Consulting Strategist, Sir Remmy Nweke: Highlighted the need for ongoing efforts to improve internet adoption, local hosting, and related infrastructure.
Encouraging Statistics:
– Google Indexing: Google has indexed 44.3 million web pages under the .ng domain, a significant rise from 16 million, demonstrating increasing digital content and activity within Nigeria.
The progress of Nigeria in the Africa Domain Name Industry reflects the country’s strategic advancements in internet infrastructure and domain name registration. Continued efforts in enhancing local internet services, improving affordability, and increasing domain name adoption are crucial for sustaining this growth trajectory.
