As the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA) celebrates two decades of managing the country’s .ng top-level domain (TLD), Basil Udotai, technology policy expert and Founder of Creative Legal, has reflected on his pivotal role in securing Nigeria’s digital identity and laying the foundation for national internet sovereignty.
In a reflective post shared on LinkedIn, Udotai revealed the historical journey that brought .ng, Nigeria’s country code top-level domain (ccTLD), home from foreign management—a milestone he describes as “one of the earliest deliberate efforts to wrestle a critical domain from foreign hands and build a local policy and institution that assured lasting success.”
“Many people don’t know that .ng wasn’t always in Nigeria or managed by Nigerians,” Udotai wrote. “Today, I look back with pride and a deep sense of nostalgia on the role I played in bringing this critical element of our digital identity to life.”
How Nigeria Reclaimed Its Digital Identity
According to Udotai, the push to domesticate the .ng domain began under former President Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who directed that the domain be transferred from foreign custodians to Nigerian control.
At the time, Mr. Randy Bush (California, USA) served as the technical contact, with hosting in Italy and Mrs. Ibukun Odusote as the administrative contact.
As Legal Adviser at the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and a member of the Presidential Committee on the Domestication of .ng, Udotai played a central role in negotiating with all legacy stakeholders and drafting the 2004 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between ICANN (the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) and NITDA.
That MoU, signed by then NITDA Director-General Prof. G. O. Ajayi, established Nigeria’s administrative control over .ng, leading to its official redelegation by ICANN to NIRA.
“I personally negotiated, reviewed, and redrafted the 2004 MoU between ICANN and NITDA,” Udotai recalled. “That document laid the foundation for Nigeria’s administrative control over .ng.”
The Birth of NIRA and the Symbolism of a Name
Udotai also chaired the Nigerian Internet Stakeholders Committee, which designed the governance structure that evolved into NIRA. He revealed that he coined the name “NIRA” to echo Nigeria’s national currency, the Naira—symbolizing “Nigeria’s digital currency of identity.”
“It marked one of the earliest deliberate efforts to create and secure the backbone of our national digital infrastructure,” he noted.
Two Decades of Digital Sovereignty
Reflecting on the 20-year journey, Udotai emphasized that every .ng address today represents the success of a vision driven by Nigerian innovation and policy leadership.
“The domestication of .ng was directed, imagined, negotiated, and executed in Nigeria, by Nigerians — under the leadership of a President with a ‘Nigeria-first’ mindset,” he wrote.
He concluded by celebrating how far Nigeria has come in defining its digital sovereignty:
“Every .ng address you see online — every business, creator, and institution flying that digital flag — reminds me that Africa’s digital success will always rest on the courage to design and own its future.”
