NIRA reserves right to disallow certain domain names – Folayan

… Hosts one-day Media College on.NG
ITRealms:

The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA)like other registry in the world reserves the right to maintain a given list of domains that could be disallowed for registration or even withdraw same if already registered, according to its Vice President, Mr. Sunday Folayan, reports ITRealms.

NIRA, ITRealms reports, is the body responsible for the management of the Nigeria’s country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) .NG in the public interest of Nigeria and global internet communities.

Speaking at the weekend during a one-day Media College on .NG for the nation’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) media practitioners at NIRA House, Lagos,Mr. Folayan, who is the chief executive of Skannet Engineering, outlined some of the names not allowed on .NG to include offensive, restricted and premium names.

Other facilitators alongside Mr. Folayan, at the one-day Media College held penultimate Thursday, March 5, 2015, at NIRA House, Lagos, harped on the need for media adoption and reportage of .NG with patriotism.

ITRealms reports that the college theme was “Effective Reporting of Domain Name Industry in Nigeria,”andattracted crème de la crème in the ICT sector, saw NIRA president, Mrs. Mary Udumawelcoming participantsby encouraging Nigerians to embrace .NG and urged migration to .ng by those already on other domain name platforms.

Also, in his welcome remarks, Communication and Publicity Chairman of NIRA and Group Executive Editor, DigitalSENSE Africa Media andGroup Executive Editor, DigitalSENSE Africa Media, Mr. Remmy Nweke, noted the importance of the media college, reminding media practitioners the role to ensure effective and excellent reportage on .NG based on facts.

He acknowledged the fact that DNS has been underreported in the media globally, hence NIRA decided to enlighten Nigerian media practitioners with DNS knowledge to boost understanding and public adoption as may be applicable.

Historically, according to a member, NIRA Executive Board of Director, Mr. Akimbo A.A. Cornerstone, from 2005 till date saw NIRA’s humble beginning, following series ofnational stakeholders’ meetings before the name NIRA was adopted in addition to setting of protem board of trustees and pioneer EBOD.

He traced the evolution from American Randy Bush who managed the technical aspect of .NG while Mrs. IbukunOdusote was the administrative contact person to the intervention of former President Oluegun Obasanjo to the birth of NIRA as multi-stakeholder association as requested by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

The publisher of Nigeria Political Economist and chairman, Foundation for Knowledge Economy (FKE), Mr. Kenneth Ugbechiedefinedadomain name as a subtree of a larger tree that contains resourceswhich root contains pointer to .ng, for instance.

He pointed out the need to promote DNS to the public and .NG precisely so as to preserve the unique digital identity and forestall domain name speculations, stressing that when media promote DNS industry, they promote Nigeria’s .NG.

“We are in fact promoting and aiding the effective connection of Nigeria Internet to the World Internet,” he said.

Mr. BiyiOladipo, Treasurer, NIRA, highlighted the fact that DNS business needs structure, tapping of core opportunities and ancillary, just as he described a domain as virtual real estate, which has value, appreciates with time and could be leased, rented or sola at any time for a good money.

This, he said, is because domain name has value and must be easily remembered with melody, meaning and branding, noting that core aspect of the opportunities inherent in DNS business includes registry like NIRA, accredited registrars, and resellers who deal directly with registrants, whereas the ancillary involves hosting, security, web designing and some other support services like legal, finance to name a few.

Head, Legal Services and Board Matters, National Information Technology Development Agency(NITDA) Abuja, Mr. Emmanuel Edet told participants that Internet Governance is the development and application of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and programmes that could shape the evolution and use of the internet.

This, he stressed include infrastructure, demonopolisation, liberalization, costs and price regulation, spectrum allocation and licensing, interconnectivity, technical standards, domain names and convergence among others.

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

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