By Juliet Umeh

The Nigeria Internet Registration Association, NiRA, the registry of the country’s .ng domain, has announced the opening of voting for the 8th edition of the annual .ng Awards, with 88 nominees shortlisted across 19 competitive categories.

Voting commenced on October 31, 2025, and will run for 20 days, closing at midnight on November 19, 2025.

Speaking on the significance of this year’s edition, President of NiRA, Mr. Adesola Akinsanya, said: “The 8th edition of the .ng Awards is a celebration of progress and innovation within Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.

“Each nominee represents the growing trust, relevance, and adoption of the .ng domain across industries.”

The public nomination process, which lasted 15 days, covered 19 categories including: Most Innovative Service Provider Online, Best Banking Website/Portal, Best Insurance Website/Portal, Best E-payment Website/Portal, .ng FinTech Company of the Year, Best E-commerce Website, Best Tertiary Institution Website/Portal among others.

To view the full list of nominees and cast votes, members of the public are invited to visit the official .ng Awards website.

This year’s edition is particularly symbolic as it coincides with NiRA’s 20th anniversary, marking two decades of leadership and innovation in managing Nigeria’s country code Top-Level Domain, ccTLD.

Chair of the .ng Awards Committee, Mr. Peter Oluka, congratulated the nominees, saying:!“We commend all 88 shortlisted nominees for their contributions to the growth of Nigeria’s digital space through the .ng domain.

“This year’s Awards are even more meaningful as we celebrate two decades of NiRA’s excellence and the evolution of the .ng domain as a key pillar of Nigeria’s digital identity.”

The .ng Awards are divided into two broad segments, the General Awards, comprising 19 publicly nominated and voted categories, and the Presidential Awards, conferred by NiRA’s leadership to honour individuals and organizations with exceptional contributions to Nigeria’s internet development.

According to NiRA’s Chief Operating Officer, Mrs. Oluwaseyi Onasanya, the Awards reaffirm NiRA’s mission of building trust in the .ng brand and showcasing it as the digital foundation of Nigeria’s identity.

Winners of the 2025 .ng Awards will be unveiled at the .ng Awards Night scheduled for December 2025, following the completion of the public voting and evaluation process.