Key players in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem have raised concerns over the country’s growing dependence on foreign digital infrastructure, warning that Nigeria loses about $850 million annually from the use of foreign domains, offshore hosting services and non-indigenous digital platforms.
The concern was raised during the third edition of Tech Convergence organised by the Nigerian Internet Registration Association (NiRA) in Abuja.
The conference was themed “Strengthening Nigeria’s Digital Independence: The Role of Policy, Digital Identity, and .ng for Economic Growth”. It brought together lawmakers, regulators, technology experts and industry players to discuss strategies to strengthen Nigeria’s digital sovereignty.
Digital independence was critical to the country’s economic and technological future, said President of NiRA, Adesola Akinsanya.
Digital independence does not mean isolating from the global internet but rather building a secure, resilient and competitive digital ecosystem that gives Nigeria greater control over its data, infrastructure, digital identity systems and online presence, he said.
The conference took a very interesting turn when it was revealed that Nigeria loses about $850 million every year by not maximising the benefits of its indigenous digital identity infrastructure.
Participants observed that continued dependence on foreign digital platforms not only causes capital flight but also undermines the country’s control over its citizens’ data.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu, described the matter as one of national security.
He drew parallels with global battles over technology and data control and stressed the need for Nigeria to take ownership of its digital assets.
“We may have the Navy to secure our marine borders and the Air Force to secure our air space but our data is elsewhere. “We are a vulnerable people and that is why this conversation is extremely important,” he stated.
The lawmaker pointed out the .ng domain as one aspect where Nigeria could exercise greater authority over its digital identity and online presence.
The conference was attended by key institutions such as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) and other public and private sector stakeholders.
The speakers also argued for more local hosting of Nigerian data, saying it would improve accessibility, reduce latency, strengthen data protection and stimulate growth in local cloud and data centre investments.
NiRA launched the .ng Ambassador Programme, a move to create a network of advocates across government, industry, academia and civil society to increase adoption of Nigeria’s country code domain.
The Chairperson, NiRA Board of Trustees, Dr Ibukun Odusote, said the programme will help drive awareness and usage of Nigeria’s digital identity infrastructure.
She said that the growth of the .ng ecosystem calls for collective efforts from both the public and private sector stakeholders.
Lawmakers at the event also vowed support for legislative initiatives to boost the country’s digital economy, including ongoing efforts to bolster cybersecurity and e-government frameworks.
Stakeholders agreed that the growth of .ng domains, advocacy of local hosting infrastructure and the strengthening of digital identity systems would be critical to the achievement of Nigeria’s digital transformation goals and economic growth.
