GUARDIAN
NITDA hands over domain name management to NiRA
From Emeka Anuforo, Abuja
FOUR years after a presidential directive was given to that effect, the National Information Technology Development Agency has handed over the management of the Nigerian Country Code Top Level Domain (cctld) to a private group.
What this means is that henceforth, the management of the .ng top level domain, which had been managed by NITDA, on behalf of the Nigerian people, would now be managed by the Nigerian Internet Registration Association (NiRA).
And, in line with an existing government order to that effect, all government ministries, departments and agencies are to immediately migrate all existing websites the .ng domain.
Domain registration is currently open to individuals and organisations, who must demonstrate a presence in Nigeria.
Government officials are also to stop the use of free and unsecured web-based email addresses. Such ‘free and unsecured’ email addresses include those offered by yahoo, hotmail, and others, for official communication.
The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) was established on March 23, 2005 as a private sector led organisation, charged with the management of the Nigerian Country Top Level Domain Name (Dot-NG).
NiRA’s establishment was the end of a long period of inactivity and dispute on the appropriate management of this important national resource.
At a brief hand-over ceremony of the management of the nation’s cctld to NiRA in Abuja, recently Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Prof. Cleopas Angaya, warned the association to administer the domain name strictly under the ICANN rules and the MoU both parties signed.
According to him, government remains a major stakeholder, protecting the interest of the people and, therefore, will not hesitate to call the body to order when it derails.
Noting that the stage was not set for Nigeria’s flag to fly proudly on the Internet, he stressed that with the birth of NiRA, all government ministries, departments and agencies should not only take immediate steps to establish a web presence but should ensure that any existing websites are migrated to the .ng domain.
“Also, government officials should no longer use free and unsecured web-based email addresses (such as yahoo and hotmail) for official communication. The birth of NiRA has made this practice unnecessary, and Section 17 (4) of the Information Technology Act makes it an offence for anyone to disregard such guidelines issued under the Act.”
He listed some benefits accruing by the hand-over of the domain name to NiRA. Some of these, according to him, include
- Nigeria’s ‘flag’ can now fly on the Internet. In other words, it would be easy now to identify the websites, which are Nigeria. Therefore, patriotism should motivate Nigerian companies and MDAs to migrate their sites and portals to the .ng domain. Nationals of other countries do the same.
- It will now be easy to track 419 mails, which emanate from Nigeria
- The current blacklisting of some Nigerian IP addresses can now be tackled as a collective action since every true Nigerian company or MDA would have a .ng website. Its origin and authenticity can be verified and guaranteed.
- A National Information Infrastructure Backbone is now more expedient than ever to carry Nigerian Internet traffic and keep local traffic local.
- Human capacity building and job creation are major spin-offs from the birth of NiRA. Not only will Nigerians manage the Nigerian Internet and networks, but more jobs would be created in the process. He expressed delight at the historic event.
In a remark at the event, the President of NiRA, Mr. Ndukwe Kalu, thanked NITDA for ‘giving light to a presidential directive.’
He pledged to ensure that the domain name becomes number one in the country, and also becomes a name to be trusted outside the country. To ensure success, he maintained that a robust network would be built to ensure that the domain becomes a reliable one.
According to him, “we are also looking at ways of jump starting the Nigerian space with local content. We will not fail Nigerians. Dot ng is our Nigerian identity that we need to be proud of. We are going to ensure massive migration to the domain and better days ahead.
” Nigerians and corporate agencies can now register their domains fast, conveniently, credibly as we hope to be at par with other African countries.”
The group is also promising to ensure a stable infrastructure. A date for full commencement of operation is expected to be announced in the next few weeks.
GUARDIAN
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Internet body releases rules for local name hosting
By Sonny Aragba-Akpore
IN order to fulfil the yearnings of stakeholders by hosting the country code, Top Level Domain name (ccTLD) locally, the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) at the weekend released a set of policies for debate before implementation.
The policies, which address broad areas of the Internet business, are part of the ways through which the Internet could be grown locally.
A statement by the association, President, Ndukwe Kalu explained that the policies are in tandem with its board of trustees’ position. The rules, which will guide its operation, would also guide its successful flag off. NIRA has consequently asked for stakeholders’ comments before implementation.
It could be recalled that NiRA and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), an agency for the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology (FMST), fortnight ago signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the official hand-over of the management of the nation’s Country Code Top Level Domain (ccTLD).
Disclosing the new development at the weekend, NiRA Kalu said that the group is calling for comments on the 13-policy documents to facilitate the formal commencement of activities after the MoU signing was accomplished.
“These policies are finally out for comments, debates and inputs”, he declared.
He stated that the first sets of policies are domain related and are 11 in number, these include Policy Development Process, Domain Name Policy, Special Domain Name Policy, Fees policy, Privacy Policy and Dispute Resolution Policy.
Others, he said, are policies on general registration rules, Registrant Agreement, Registrar Agreement, Registrar Accreditation Process and Glossary as contained in the policy documents.
Apart from the aforementioned 11-policy documents, Kalu said that there would be two policy documents specifically mapped out to ensure good corporate governance in management of affairs of NiRA. This, he said, is to ensure that NiRA procedures are aligned with international best practices.
According to him, the invitation for comments would be open for three weeks so as to enable citizens time to evaluate these policy documents and make necessary inputs that will move the nation forward in terms of increase in the domain name registration and its relevance to national development at this era by Nigerians both at home and abroad.
He further explained that due to peculiar needs some policies would have immediate effect so as to avoid vaccum.
“This exercise is part of efforts of the MoU that was recently signed to domesticate the domain name implementation system,” he explained.
Kalu also stressed that the call for comments is to avail the opportunity for NiRA to carry every member of the national Internet community along, noting that the 13-policy documents have received the approval of the board in this regard.
NiRA, he added, has planned to harmonise the comments within one week after the deadline for comments, which is expected to close before February 29.
Stakeholders, he said, would have the chance of debating and making inputs on their choice of interest either in one or all of the policy documents under review.
Kalu further said that NiRA has finalised plans to accommodate Nigerians in Diaspora as far as ownership of domain names are concerned, emphasising that domains are not owned by individuals but are licensed for use.
Comments, he said, could be made through www.nira.org.ng and the yahoo IT professional discussion group on ngccTLD.
Also contribution could be sent by hard copy to NiRA office or via email policy@nira.org.ng
NIRA was founded on March 23, 2005 as stakeholders-led organisation, charged with the management of the nation’s Country Top Level Domain Name (ccTLD), dot ng.
NIRA’s formation brought to an end the long years of .ng controversy in the country, following the intervention of the former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo.
Hitherto the .ng was being managed by NITDA on behalf of the Federal Government, even as NIRA’s constitution was adopted by stakeholders, at a meeting held on March 28, 2006 at the Musical Society of Nigeria (MUSON) Centre, Onikan-Lagos.
NiRAs Board of Trustees (BoT) was elected among the stakeholders with Dr. A. Odeyemi as chairman shortly after the adoption of the constitution. And by May 1, 2007, the first executive board of NIRA was elected with Kalu leading a 10-man board.
While stakeholders applaud this move by NIRA board to move the domain name forward, a section believes that there is so much left to be done.
