<h2 id="page_content_Content9_oModuleContent_2_h2_TitleAlt">Why NiRA Records Low dot ng Registration</h2>
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<p class="date"><a href="http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/why-nira-records-low-dot-ng-registration/104542/">http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/why-nira-records-low-dot-ng-registration/104542/</a></p><p class="date">
08 Dec 2011</p></div>
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<div id="page_content_Content9_oModuleContent_2_div_Body" class="body"><p style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>Minister of Communications, Mrs Omobola Johnson</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
<strong>By Emma Okonji</strong><br>
<br>
Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) has identified low
level of awareness creation as a factor militating against the ‘dot ng’
domain name registration in the country.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
According to NiRA, only about 40,000 domain names have been registered
since the inception of the sales of domain names in 2008.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
Chief Operating Officer of NiRA, Mr. Ope Odusan, who spoke to THISDAY
on the status of ‘dot ng’ domain name registration, challenged
registrars of the nation’s Country Code Top Level Domain name (ccTLD) to
raise the volume of registration of the ‘dot ng’ domain name and to
create more awareness among Nigerians and corporate organisations, on
‘dot ng’ domain name registration.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
Odusan, who spoke shortly after the Registrars’ Forum organised by NiRA
in Lagos at the weekend, commended registrars for the level of
registration carried out so far, but challenged them to increase
registration figures in order to address appreciable size of Nigerian
population that is well over 160 million.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
As an incentive to boost ‘dot ng’ domain name registration in the
country, Odusan promised to offer iPad 2 to any registrar that registers
up to 5,000 domain names in a month.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
In technical parlance, ‘dot ng’ domain name is Nigeria’s identity in
the cyberspace. Every country has its identity and must be identified as
such when sending electronic mails through cyberspace, via the
internet.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
The cyberspace address of individuals or organisations in Nigeria must
end with ‘dot ng’. For example, an organisation known as Dudu Enterprise
can have a domain name of <a href="http://www.dudu.com.ng">www.dudu.com.ng</a> The identity simply
identifies the organisation as Nigerian organisation. People can have
individual domain names such as <a href="http://samuel.com.ng">samuel.com.ng</a>,</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
South Africa has .za, while Canada has .ca, and their citizens are identified by their domain names.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
NiRA, the agency responsible for the control and administration of
domain names in Nigeria has been in the forefront campaigning for the
registration of domain names with the country’s identity, and
discouraging the use of alien domain names that end with <a href="http://yahoo.com">yahoo.com</a></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
Odusan called on Nigerians to take advantage of accredited registrars
in the country and register their domain names as second or third level
domain names.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
Presenting awards to registrars at the Registrars’ Forum and End of
Year Get-Together organised by NiRA for all registrars, Odusan commended
all registrars for their efforts in registering the dot ng domain name.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
The award was based on the registrars with the highest volume of
registration figures from the month of August to November 2011. </p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
As the names were called, one particular registrar kept surfacing as
‘Registrar of the Month’ for the months of August, September, October
and November. The registrar, Upperlink Limited, eventually swept all the
awards as it emerged ‘Registrar of the Month’ for August to November,</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
In August, Upperlink Limited registered 229 domain names, in September,
it registered 249 domain names, in October, it registered 627 domain
names, and in November, it registered 2,403 domain names, topping
registration figures in all four months under review. Upperlink was
presented with four plaques as the Registrar of the Month for the four
consecutive months.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
Sharing the secret of the firm’s consistent win, Technical Manager for
Upperlink, Mr. Shola Akinsanya, who received the awards for Upperlink
said the firm sold domain names at pocket friendly rates, coupled with
its aggressive campaign in sensitising Nigerians on the importance of
owning a domain name.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
He said Upperlink partnered Google on its recently concluded one week
web fair in Lagos, from where it had more opportunities to talk to
thousands of participants at the web fair.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">
Upperlink, he said, had invested so much on advertising ‘dot ng’ domain
name and that more Nigerians were becoming aware of the need to
identify with the nation’s ccTLD</p>
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