Which .NG domain extension should you choose for your Nigerian website?

.ng is the Internet country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Nigeria. .ng domains come in different extensions and it’s best to choose the domain extension that reflects your type of organization. Nigerian domain extensions can be classified into two: open and restricted.

Open .ng domain extensions: These are those open to registration by virtually any individual or institution from any part of the world. They are: .ng, .com.ng, .org.ng, .name.ng, .i.ng and .mobi.ng

Restricted .ng domain extensions: These are intended for specific types of organizations/institutions within Nigeria. They are: .net.ng, .gov.ng, .edu.ng, .sch.ng, .mil.ng

Open .NG Domains

• .ng – anyone can register directly under .ng – although they come at a higher price than all others.
• .com.ng – commercial entities. All types of businesses are welcome to make use of these domain extensions. They are open to any business/individual around the world.
• .org.ng – organizations. This domain extension is intended for Nigerian non-for-profit organizations. There are no restrictions on the use of this domain extension.
• .name.ng – individuals. This domain extension is intended for the use of natural persons. It is best suited for personal or family websites or email addresses.
• .mobi.ng – mobile websites. This domain extension is intended for the use of websites targetted at mobile devices. The .mobi.ng website should be mobile-friendly; display easily/properly on smartphone and other mobile internet devices.

Restricted .NG Domains

The restrictions on the use of the following domain extensions are strictly enforced by the .ng registry. Documentation are typically required to prove eligibility for the domain extensions.

• .net.ng – network infrastructure. This domain extension is intended for Internet Service Providers and their network infrastructure only.
• .gov.ng – Nigerian governments. This domain extension is strictly reserved for the use of the Federal Government of Nigeria and its parastatals, the 36 state governments in Nigeria and their institutions.
• .edu.ng – degree-awarding academic institutions. This domain extension is strictly for the use of degree-awarding Nigerian academic institutions that have been duly accredited by the Federal Ministry of Education in Nigeria.
• .sch.ng – academic institutions. All other types of Nigerian academic institutions that do not qualify for .edu.ng are welcome to make use of this domain extension.
• .mil.ng – this domain extension is strictly for the Nigerian military institutions only, and not open to the general public.

Web4Africa is a leading Accredited .NG Domain Name Registrar offering .ng domains to residents of Nigeria and beyond. You can find your .ng domains at web4africa.ng

How to Register a .ng domain

To register a dot ng domain name, verify that your registrar is NiRA accredited. You can make the verification on NiRA’s website. Having made the verification, the next step is to check the availability of the domain on their website. If it is available, you can proceed to read and sign the registrant agreement, register your domain name using their platform.

NiRA is the registry for .ng Internet Domain Names and maintains the database of names registered in the .ng country code Top Level Domain.

Noteworthy

• With a TLD as .ng, Nigeria’s country code assumes a global significance for many words by coupling of the TLD with any of the vowels of the English language. i.e. Fishi.ng, Samsu.ng
• The uniqueness of the .ng ccTLD has seen firms like Google, Microsoft Domain Developers Fund taking up googli.ng; bi.ng; et cetera since the Second Level was opened up

Why you need the .ng domain

1. By owning a .ng domain, you are supporting the Nigerian Economy and providing jobs for local IT professionals.
2. It helps branding and geo-targeting of local content to the Nigerian market.
3. .NG  is the official ICANN approved ccTLD for Nigeria.
4. More domain names are available on the .ng ccTLD than on the gTLDs like .com, .org, since they have not been registered.
5. .ng domains are affordable. You can get one for as low as ₦11,000 (about $30) per year.

.ng domain classification

Here is a classification of some of the dot ng domain names and what they represent.

It is also possible to transfer existing .ng Domain Names from one hosting service to another.