Nigeria Internet Registration Association: Difference between revisions

| logo            = NiRALogo.gif

| ownership      = Multi-Stakeholder Association

| email          = admin[at]nira.org.ng

'''NiRA''' or '''Nigeria Internet Registration Association''' is the registry of [[.ng]] [[domain name]]s. Besides the [[ccTLD]] it supports some other [[second level domain]]s including [[com.ng]], [[edu.ng]], [[name.ng]], [[net.ng]], [[org.ng]], [[sch.ng]], [[gov.ng]], [[mil.ng]] and [[mobi.ng]].<ref>[http://www.nira.org.ng/ NiRA]</ref>  

NiRA follows the [[Registry]]/[[Registrar]] model according to which [[.ng]] domain names can be registered through a NiRA accredited Registrar. It does not directly register domain names.<ref>[http://ccnso.icann.org/about/member-profiles/ng.htm ICANN ccNSO]</ref>

NiRA was started as a stakeholder organization in 2005 for the maintenance of [[.ng]] domain names, prior to which, the [[ccTLD]] was managed by the National Information Technology Development Agency on behalf of the Federal Government. Initially, .ng was hosted in the USA by an American [[Randy Bush]] has its Technical Contact. Its Board of Trustees was elected in 2006 and its Executive Board in March 2007.<ref>[http://www.nira.org.ng/index.php/about-nira About NiRA]</ref> To promote the [[ccTLD]] NiRA offered 50,000 free [[.ng]] domain names to its customers in March, 2011.<ref>[http://www.todayisp.com/news/MessView.net?IDMessage=10869 TodayIsp]</ref>. However, in April 2013, NiRA opened its Top Level (.ng) for registration and witnessed a boom.

NiRA has recently started a campaign 'Switch to .ng' urging Nigerian firms to register .ng domains. It aims to improve the visibility of Nigeria on the Internet by creating local content with ensured content security. As a result of campaign local, as well as international, companies have started giving attention to .ng domains.<ref>[http://www.technologyavenue.com.ng/web3.0/2011/09/20/switch-to-ng-domain-name-firms-told/ TechnologyAvenue]</ref> Furthermore, .ng is an [[ccTLD#Open ccTLDs|Open ccTLD]], and thus can be registered by anyone around the globe. With its innovative Executive and the support of the Mr. Peter Jack, Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency of Nigeria (NITDA) and the excellent leadership of the Ministry of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, the switchto.gov.ng was accepted with a deadline set in August 18th, 2014 for all Government Bodies at all levels to change.

NiRA, in collaboration with other internet related bodies, has organised a lot of activities to date and contributed immensely to the growth and development of various organisations across Africa and in Nigeria. NiRA is supporting the growth and sustenance of organisations and associations with related reference, towards advancing the development amongst the Internet Industry.