NiRA Marks 20th Anniversary, Honours Digital Innovators at 8th .ng Awards

The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) has celebrated its 20th anniversary alongside the 8th .ng Awards, honouring more than 40 individuals and organisations for their contributions to Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

The milestone event, themed “20 Years, One Identity: Powering Nigeria with .ng”, capped a week of commemorative activities, including a live radio tour, the release of the NiRA History Documentary, and a community walk. The celebrations culminated in a grand Anniversary and Awards Night attended by pioneers, innovators, industry leaders, partners, and members of the broader NiRA community.

Chairman of the .ng Awards Committee, Mr Peter Oluka, said the ceremony was designed to pay tribute to NiRA’s early trailblazers, celebrate ongoing achievements, and inspire a renewed commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s digital identity as the organisation enters its next two decades.

NiRA President, Mr Adesola Akinsanya, reflected on the organisation’s journey, praising the visionaries who laid the foundation for Nigeria’s digital identity infrastructure.

“Twenty years ago, visionary men and women laid the foundation for what has grown to become Nigeria’s digital anchor—the custodian of our online identity,” he said.

Akinsanya emphasised the strategic importance of the .ng domain as a symbol of national pride, digital trust, and economic empowerment. He urged businesses, creators, institutions, and citizens to adopt the .ng domain as Nigeria’s authentic digital footprint.

Honouring Pioneers and Industry Leaders

NiRA presented Lifetime Achievement Awards to distinguished figures whose contributions have shaped Nigeria’s digital landscape. Recipients included:

Dr Ibukun Odusote

Chief Chima Onyekwere

Dr Isaac Odeyemi

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR

The late Engr Ndukwe Kalu

Presidential Awards were also presented to organisations and individuals driving digital transformation, including Go54, the Nigerian Copyright Commission, Senator Shuaib Salisu, Hon. Stanley Olajide, the Nigeria Computer Society, Techeconomy, QServers, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), and Gavel.

The top category, .ng Company of the Year 2025, was awarded to Afrigo Pay Financial.

NiRA’s Vision for the Next 20 Years

The anniversary event served not only as a celebration but also as a renewed call for deeper nationwide adoption of the .ng domain. NiRA leadership stressed that strengthening Nigeria’s digital sovereignty will depend on expanding local domain usage across government, business, and creative industries.

According to NiRA, the .ng domain is central to:

National digital identity

Online trust and security

Protection of local content

Digital commerce growth

Global competitiveness

Nigeria’s innovative future

As NiRA enters its next chapter, the association says collaboration with public and private stakeholders will be essential to advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation.