The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), the registry responsible for the management of Nigeria’s country code Top-Level Domain (ccTLD), .ng, has announced the opening of nominations for the 9th edition of the .ng Awards.
The 15-day nomination period runs from 14 September to 28 September 2026, giving members of the public an opportunity to nominate organisations and individuals making notable contributions to Nigeria’s digital ecosystem through the .ng domain.
Now in its ninth edition, the .ng Awards recognises organisations and individuals that are using the .ng domain to build businesses, deliver digital services, provide information and contribute to the growth of Nigeria’s internet space.
A total of 19 general award categories are open for public nominations. The categories recognise contributions across different sectors, including technology, financial services, e-commerce, media, education and government.
Some of the categories include Most Innovative Service Provider Online, Best Banking Website, Best Online Media Website, Best E-payment Website, .ng FinTech Website, Best E-commerce Website, Best Tertiary Institution Website, as well as categories covering media and state and federal government websites and much more.
The criteria for submitting a valid nomination and the full list of award categories are available at www.nira.org.ng/ngawards2026.
Speaking on the opening of nominations, the Chair of the .ng Awards Committee, Mr. Peter Oluka, encouraged the public to recognise organisations that are deliberately building their digital presence on .ng.
“The .ng Awards gives us an opportunity to recognise the organisations and individuals who are building useful and credible digital services on Nigeria’s own domain. There are many businesses, institutions and organisations doing meaningful work online, and we want this year’s nominations to reflect the depth and diversity of those contributions.”
Since its inception in 2016, the .ng Awards has recognised over 120 organisations and individuals who have leveraged the .ng domain to build and strengthen Nigeria’s internet ecosystem.
The awards have two categories: the General Awards, which are open to public nominations and voting, and the Presidential Awards, which are conferred by the President of NiRA to recognise impactful contributions to the .ng domain ecosystem.
The President of NiRA, Mr. Adesola Akinsanya, emphasised the importance of this year’s edition, particularly as NiRA recently marked 20 years of contributing to the development of Nigeria’s internet space.
“This year edition gives us another opportunity to recognise the organisations and individuals who contribute to the growth of our digital ecosystem across different sectors and show the growing relevance and trust in Nigeria’s own internet identity.”
Following the nomination period, shortlisted nominees will be presented for public voting. Voting will run for 25 days, from 12 October to 5 November 2026.
Following the voting phase, winners will be selected through the established Awards criteria and evaluation process and announced at the .ng Awards Night, which will be held in Lagos. The event will be strictly by invitation and streamed across NiRA’s official social media platforms.
As the .ng domain continues to grow across different sectors, NiRA is also focused on ensuring that the systems, processes and support around the domain continue to meet the needs of registrants, businesses and organisations using .ng.
NiRA’s Chief Operating Officer, Mrs. Oluwaseyi Onasanya, speaking on this and its impact on the .ng Awards, noted:
“The growth of .ng requires continuous work behind the scenes to ensure that the domain remains secure, reliable and accessible to those who use it. We are committed to improving the systems and processes that support the .ng ecosystem while working with our stakeholders to make .ng easier to adopt and use.”
As Nigeria advances towards a fully digital and innovation-driven economy, NiRA reaffirms its commitment to supporting national digital transformation policies, expanding local content, strengthening domain infrastructure and championing digital sovereignty.