The Nigerian Internet Registration Association (NiRA) has warned that Nigeria loses about $850 million annually due to weak adoption of its digital identity infrastructure and over-reliance on foreign digital platforms.
NiRA made the disclosure at its Tech Convergence Conference in Abuja, where stakeholders in government, cybersecurity, and the digital economy discussed how Nigeria can strengthen its digital sovereignty.
According to the association, the losses come mainly from:
- Heavy reliance on foreign domain services and hosting platforms
- Limited adoption of Nigeria’s .ng domain
- Export of digital services revenue to offshore companies
NiRA President Adesola Akinsanya said Nigeria must build a stronger and more secure digital ecosystem that gives the country greater control over data, infrastructure, and online identity—without isolating it from the global internet.
Stakeholders at the conference also warned that depending on foreign digital infrastructure weakens Nigeria’s data security, economic value retention, and digital sovereignty, urging stronger policies to encourage local adoption of the .ng domain.
They further proposed measures such as:
- Mandatory use of .ng domains for businesses
- Integration of local digital identity systems into education and government services
- Expansion of Nigeria’s local cloud and hosting industries
NiRA said boosting local digital identity usage could help Nigeria retain revenue, improve cybersecurity, reduce latency, and grow its digital economy.
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