Digital Patriotism: Senate, Others Rally Support For Nigeria’s Online Identity

The Nigerian Senate, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) have joined calls for the full-scale adoption of Nigeria’s country code top-level domain (.ng), describing it as an urgent and strategic move to secure the nation’s digital sovereignty.

This call was the major highlight at Tech Convergence 2.0, a national summit organised by the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA). Policymakers, public sector stakeholders, and technology experts gathered to align on a unified digital vision.

Speaking at the event, Senate President Godswill Akpabio emphasised the government’s responsibility to lead the charge towards national digital ownership.

“We now live in a digital world, and we must also take ownership of our presence online. For us, the true mark of that ownership is through the .ng domain,’ Akpabio, represented by Senator Diket Plang, said.

Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu further underscored the importance of promoting indigenous digital assets.

“We must understand that we are stakeholders in our Internet space and must promote what is ours. The .ng domain is not just an address; it’s a statement of national pride,’ he asserted.

NiRA president, Adesola Akinsanya, described the .ng domain as “a symbol of Nigerian digital pride,” adding that it is time for Nigeria to assert its identity in cyberspace. Our mission is to build trust through the Nigerian identity online and ensure every Nigerian is identifiable online through our digital identity, the .ng domain.”

Chairperson of NiRA’s board of Trustees, Ibukun Odusote, called for greater commitment to local infrastructure. “There should be an urgent need to adopt what is ours, the .ng domain. Our national digital infrastructure must reflect our values,’ she declared.

Representing the director general of NITDA, a senior official reiterated the critical role of the public sector in setting the tone for Nigeria’s digital identity. ‘The internet has gone beyond just communication. It is now an infrastructure for innovation and identity. The government must be the primary face of Nigeria online,’ he said.

In his remarks, the director general of the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Dr Adebowale Adedokun, disclosed that efforts are underway to ensure that all communications across more than 1,200 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) are hosted on the .ng domain. It is a national imperative. He stated that we must ensure that government communications reflect our identity and prevent reliance on generic or foreign domains.

Chief operating officer of NiRA, Oluwaseyi Onasanya, appealed to public and private sector players and individual Nigerians to take ownership of their digital footprints. ‘Nigerians need to adopt .ng to allow us to own our narrative online. This is more than branding it is patriotism,’ Onasanya stated.

Tech Convergence 2.0 highlighted the urgent need to treat digital identity as an extension of national identity, aligning with the Nigeria First Online agenda that champions digital patriotism and local innovation.

Stakeholders collectively agreed that the time has come for Nigeria to move beyond rhetoric and take decisive action to assert its digital presence. Nigeria’s digital identity must be owned, built, and secured by Nigerians, Akinsanya concluded.