{"id":39,"date":"2026-09-22T00:22:19","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T00:22:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tkwebhosts.com\/ng\/tutorials\/?p=39"},"modified":"2026-09-22T00:22:19","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T00:22:19","slug":"ng-domain-statistics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tkwebhosts.com\/ng\/tutorials\/ng-domain-statistics\/","title":{"rendered":"NG Domain Statistics"},"content":{"rendered":"

The .ng namespace has grown every year since 2020, and that growth reflects sustained work by the Nigeria Internet Registration Association<\/a> (NiRA), the registry that operates it. NiRA has built the accredited registrar network to 168, published a 2026 business plan committing to marketing, DNSSEC deployment, governance reform and policy engagement, and secured NITDA’s formal endorsement of it. Since July 2026 it has issued a monthly Domain Performance Report to accredited registrars — a level of operational transparency many country-code registries do not offer, and the reason a reference like this one can be compiled at all. The analysis that follows engages with the figures NiRA publishes; it does not substitute for them.<\/strong><\/p>\n

NG domain statistics for 2026 put the namespace at 255,001 names under management<\/strong>, held across 168 accredited registrars<\/strong>, growing at roughly 5,200 genuinely new names a month. This page is a standing reference, updated as each monthly report is issued.<\/p>\n

Every figure is traced to a named source and marked primary or secondary. Every derived figure states its formula. The underlying tables are published as CSV so the numbers can be checked rather than taken on trust. Where the data does not support a conclusion, this page says so rather than filling the gap.<\/p>\n

Key findings<\/h2>\n
    \n
  • 2.34×<\/strong> — the factor by which the published “net growth” figure exceeds the count of genuinely new names, because the column adds renewals to registrations.<\/li>\n
  • 1.05 per 1,000 people<\/strong> — .ng domains per head of population, against 21.41 for .za and 1.96 for .ke. Nigeria trails Kenya per capita despite four times the population.<\/li>\n
  • 8.06% a year<\/strong> — compound annual growth from May 2020 to August 2026. The 2026 target of +30% implies a rate 3.7 times that trend.<\/li>\n
  • 55.9%<\/strong> — deletions as a share of new registrations in August, up from 51.1% in July.<\/li>\n
  • 72.8%<\/strong> — third-level share of August registrations, up from 57.8% in July. Second-level registrations fell 32.9% in the same month.<\/li>\n
  • 0.098%<\/strong> — share of the .ng zone signed with DNSSEC: 251 names of 255,001.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Where .ng domain statistics come from<\/h2>\n

    Published .ng domain statistics come from sources of uneven quality, and mixing them produces the contradiction set out further down. Two of the readings below are stocks that can be compared with one another; one is a monthly flow that cannot, and is excluded from every calculation here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Recorded readings of the .ng namespace<\/caption>\n
    When<\/th>\nReading<\/th>\nSource<\/th>\nConfidence<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    1995<\/td>\n.ng delegated; adoption stays marginal against .com for two decades<\/td>\nGuardian Nigeria, historical coverage<\/td>\nSecondary<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Aug 2017<\/td>\n4,274 registrations in the month, plus 2,103 renewals — a flow, not a stock<\/td>\nRegistry media update (dating internally inconsistent)<\/td>\nSecondary<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    May 2020<\/td>\n157,072 names registered — the base for long-run growth rates here<\/td>\nRegistry reporting via press coverage<\/td>\nSecondary<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    2025<\/td>\n241,000 active names; 98,285 new, 71,470 renewals, 1,970 restorations. No as-at date published<\/td>\nThe Point NG \/ NITDA coverage<\/td>\nSecondary<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    May 2026<\/td>\nRegistry targets +30% for the year across four programme tracks<\/td>\nTechnology Times, 3 May 2026<\/td>\nSecondary<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Jul 2026<\/td>\nMonthly registrar reporting begins — where the series below starts<\/td>\nNiRA Registrar Domain Performance Report, July 2026<\/td>\nPrimary<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Aug 2026<\/td>\n255,001 under management; 168 accredited registrars<\/td>\nNiRA Registrar Domain Performance Report, August 2026<\/td>\nPrimary<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    The size of the .ng domain namespace<\/h2>\n

    Measured as a stock, .ng domain registrations rose from 157,072 in May 2020 to 255,001 in August 2026 — a gain of 62.3% over six years and three months. That is a compound annual growth rate of 8.06%<\/strong>: steady, unspectacular, and consistent with a namespace expanding through registrar distribution rather than a demand shock.<\/p>\n

    The 2026 business plan targets +30% on the 2025 base, which would mean 313,300 names by December. Reaching that from 255,001 needs 14,575 net new names a month<\/strong> for four months. August produced 5,217, about 36% of that pace. Holding August’s rate to year end lands near 275,900, a gain of roughly 14.5%.<\/p>\n

    Why .ng domain statistics disagree between annual and monthly reporting<\/h3>\n

    The annual stock readings and the monthly activity figures do not reconcile with one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    241,000 (2025) to 255,001 (Aug 2026), set against reported monthly activity<\/caption>\n
    Measure<\/th>\nValue<\/th>\nImplied monthly<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    Gain from the 2025 base to August 2026<\/td>\n+14,001<\/td>\n1,750<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Net new names reported in August alone<\/td>\n+5,217<\/td>\n5,217<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Eight months at August’s rate would give<\/strong><\/td>\n+41,736<\/strong><\/td>\ngap of 27,735<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    Either the 241,000 baseline is dated earlier than “2025”, or the monthly net figures run ahead of what reaches the zone. Until an as-at date is published for 241,000, year-on-year percentages built on it — including the +30% target — carry that uncertainty with them.<\/p>\n

    The .ng domain statistics monthly series<\/h2>\n

    The registry publishes each month’s activity but does not publish a continuous series. This section maintains one. The series begins with July 2026<\/strong>, the first monthly report issued, and a row is added each time a new report arrives, so the record lengthens rather than being replaced. Two months establish a baseline, not a trend: month-on-month movements below are observations, and should not be read as direction until at least six months exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Monthly .ng activity, July 2026 onward — updated as reports are issued<\/caption>\n
    Month<\/th>\nRegs<\/th>\nRenewals<\/th>\nRestor.<\/th>\nTransfers<\/th>\nDeletions<\/th>\nReported<\/th>\nNet new<\/th>\nDel. rate<\/th>\n3rd lvl<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    Jul 2026<\/td>\n11,044<\/td>\n6,766<\/td>\n174<\/td>\n296<\/td>\n5,646<\/td>\n12,164<\/td>\n5,572<\/td>\n51.1%<\/td>\n57.8%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Aug 2026<\/td>\n11,502<\/td>\n7,115<\/td>\n141<\/td>\n189<\/td>\n6,426<\/td>\n12,191<\/td>\n5,217<\/td>\n55.9%<\/td>\n72.8%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    Series mean<\/strong><\/td>\n11,273<\/strong><\/td>\n6,941<\/strong><\/td>\n158<\/strong><\/td>\n243<\/strong><\/td>\n6,036<\/strong><\/td>\n12,178<\/strong><\/td>\n5,395<\/strong><\/td>\n53.5%<\/strong><\/td>\n65.3%<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
    As reported \u201cnet growth\u201d<\/text>Net new names<\/text>Registrations<\/text>Renewals<\/text>Deletions<\/text>0<\/text>2,500<\/text>5,000<\/text>7,500<\/text>10,000<\/text>12,500<\/text>Jul 2026<\/text>Aug 2026<\/text>12,191<\/text>11,502<\/text>7,115<\/text>6,426<\/text>5,217<\/text><\/svg>
    Every count the registry reports, on one axis. The reported figure sits
    above<\/em> registrations because it adds renewals to them; net new names sits below<\/em> deletions because it is the only series that subtracts them without adding renewals back.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
    Deletion rate<\/text>Third-level share<\/text>0%<\/text>20%<\/text>40%<\/text>60%<\/text>80%<\/text>100%<\/text>Jul 2026<\/text>Aug 2026<\/text>72.8%<\/text>55.9%<\/text><\/svg>
    Deletion rate (deletions as a share of registrations) and third-level share of registrations. These are percentages, so they cannot share the axis above — plotting a rate and a count on one scale would force a second y-axis.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Across the two months observed, the namespace has taken on a mean of 5,395 net new names a month<\/strong> while the reported figure averaged 12,178. Deletions averaged 53.5% of new registrations. The next row is due when the September report is issued, expected mid-October 2026.<\/p>\n

    How .ng domain growth statistics are calculated<\/h2>\n

    The August report states a specific, checkable figure and prints the table that produces it. Read together, they show the “net growth” column is built from registrations plus renewals less deletions.<\/p>\n

    \"Report
    NiRA Domain Performance Report, August 2026, slide 3.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    What the column computes:<\/strong> registrations 11,502 + renewals 7,115 − deletions 6,426 = 12,191<\/strong>. This reconciles exactly in all six rows of the table, across both months.<\/p>\n

    Names not previously in the zone:<\/strong> registrations 11,502 + restorations 141 − deletions 6,426 = 5,217<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    A renewal is a name already under management. It was counted in a previous period and it is counted again in this one, so including it in growth measures continuity rather than expansion. Both figures are legitimate and they answer different questions: 12,191 describes total billable activity net of losses, while 5,217 describes how much the namespace actually grew. The distinction matters when the headline figure is carried into market sizing, year-on-year comparison or policy reporting, where the two definitions produce materially different answers.<\/p>\n

    \"Monthly
    The same report, slide 2 — the table the column is built from.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    .ng domain registration statistics by level<\/h2>\n

    .ng domains are sold at two levels. Second-level names take the form example.ng<\/code> and sell at a premium; third-level names such as example.com.ng<\/code> sit under a generic prefix and cost less. In August the premium tier recorded 3,128 registrations against July’s 4,659 — a fall of nearly a third — while the third level absorbed the difference, rising 31.2%. Total registrations barely moved (+4.1%) because the two offset each other, which is how a mix shift stays hidden inside a headline total.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    August 2026 by level — reported against net new<\/caption>\n
    Level<\/th>\nRegistrations<\/th>\nRenewals<\/th>\nRestorations<\/th>\nDeletions<\/th>\nReported<\/th>\nNet new<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    2nd level<\/td>\n3,128<\/td>\n2,384<\/td>\n50<\/td>\n1,353<\/td>\n4,159<\/td>\n1,825<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    3rd level<\/td>\n8,374<\/td>\n4,731<\/td>\n91<\/td>\n5,073<\/td>\n8,032<\/td>\n3,392<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    All domains<\/strong><\/td>\n11,502<\/strong><\/td>\n7,115<\/strong><\/td>\n141<\/strong><\/td>\n6,426<\/strong><\/td>\n12,191<\/strong><\/td>\n5,217<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    On the net-new measure the premium tier added 1,825 names in August rather than 4,159. The third level deleted 5,073 against 8,374 registrations, making it the higher-churn segment and the one currently carrying growth.<\/p>\n

    .ng domain adoption in international context<\/h2>\n

    Absolute domain counts flatter large countries. Normalised per head of population, the .ng namespace is the smallest of the three major African country-code domains for which comparable figures exist — and it trails Kenya despite Nigeria having more than four times the population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    ccTLD adoption compared, 2026<\/caption>\n
    ccTLD<\/th>\nCountry<\/th>\nDomains<\/th>\nPopulation<\/th>\nPer 1,000<\/th>\n.ng at this rate<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
    .za<\/td>\nSouth Africa<\/td>\n1,400,000<\/td>\n65.4m<\/td>\n21.41<\/td>\n5,180,428<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    .ke<\/td>\nKenya<\/td>\n115,000<\/td>\n58.6m<\/td>\n1.96<\/td>\n474,915<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    .ng<\/strong><\/td>\nNigeria<\/strong><\/td>\n255,001<\/strong><\/td>\n242.0m<\/strong><\/td>\n1.05<\/strong><\/td>\n—<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    South Africa’s per-capita adoption is 20.3 times<\/strong> Nigeria’s. Matching Kenya’s rate would require 474,915 .ng names, roughly 1.9 times the current total; matching South Africa’s would require 5.18 million. At August’s net-new rate of 5,217 a month, closing the gap to Kenya alone would take about 42 years. This gap, not the absolute count, is the strongest available evidence that the .ng namespace is under-adopted rather than simply young.<\/p>\n

    DNSSEC statistics for .ng domains<\/h2>\n

    DNSSEC signs DNS responses cryptographically so a resolver can detect tampering. The 2026 business plan commits to DNSSEC across the .ng zones, and the August report is the first to publish adoption figures. They show the capability exists but is almost entirely undeployed.<\/p>\n

    \"DNSSEC
    NiRA Domain Performance Report, August 2026, slide 4.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

    Twenty of 168 registrars can offer DNSSEC — the published adoption rate of 11.9%. But capability is not deployment: between them those twenty have signed 251 names<\/strong>, an average of about twelve each, against a zone of 255,001. That is 0.098%<\/strong> of the namespace, leaving 254,750 .ng names unsigned. Anyone who needs DNSSEC on a .ng domain should confirm support with a registrar before registering, because most cannot provide it.<\/p>\n

    What the .ng domain statistics mean for registrants<\/h2>\n

    .ng domain growth runs near 5,200 names a month<\/h3>\n

    Market sizing built on the reported net-growth figure will be roughly 2.34× too high. Across all 168 accredited registrars the namespace is taking on about 5,200 genuinely new names a month. The same correction applies to the +30% target: at August’s net-new rate the year ends near 275,900, about +14.5% on the 2025 base.<\/p>\n

    Volume has moved to third-level .ng domains<\/h3>\n

    The third level took 72.8% of August’s registrations, up from 57.8% in July. The second level remains the shorter, more memorable option and still commands a premium — but that premium now has to be justified against a cheaper alternative most of the market is taking.<\/p>\n

    DNSSEC on .ng domains is rarely available<\/h3>\n

    148 of 168 accredited registrars cannot offer DNSSEC at all. Any organisation with a security requirement for signed DNS — financial services, public sector, anything handling payment or identity data — should treat DNSSEC support as a qualifying question when choosing a .ng registrar, not something to discover after transfer.<\/p>\n

    Deletions run at over half of new .ng registrations<\/h3>\n

    August recorded 6,426 deletions against 11,502 registrations — 55.9%, up from 51.1% in July. Much of that is avoidable expiry rather than deliberate abandonment. Auto-renew and a monitored expiry calendar are worth more to a .ng portfolio than any acquisition discount, because a lapsed name can be re-registered by anyone once it leaves the redemption period.<\/p>\n

    Methodology behind these .ng domain statistics<\/h2>\n

    Every derived figure is computed from tables printed in the registry’s monthly reports. No figure is estimated, modelled or smoothed.<\/p>\n