The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), the body managing Nigeria's cyberspace identity, on Tuesday in Lagos, celebrated its 20th anniversary and 8th.ng Awards, where it honoured pioneer drivers of Nigeria's .ng domain name, the innovators, as well as the users of .ng domain name.

Chairman, organising committee of the 20th anniversary celebration, Mr. Peter Oluka, in his welcome speech, said for 20 years, Nira has nurtured the .ng domain brand, which is Nigeria's identity in the cyberspace, thus empowering businesses, inspiring innovation, promoting local content and firmly establishing Nigeria's presence on the global internet map.

"What began as an ambitious dream two decades ago has grown into a vibrant ecosystem, strengthened by commitments and shared in the power of our national digital identity," Oluka said.

Keep up with the latest headlines on WhatsApp | LinkedIn

In his opening remarks, NiRA's President, Adesola Akinsanya, said: "As we celebrate excellence, innovation and the spirit of Nigeria's digital identity, this year's edition is truly special because it coincides with the monumental milestone, the 20th anniversary of NiRA and the 8th .ng Awards. We are honoring two decades of resilience, collaboration, transformation and nation building through the .ng domain. Twenty years ago, visionary men and women, laid the foundation for what has grown to become Nigeria's digital platform. And so, we celebrate the innovators, the entrepreneurs, NGOs, content creators, government institutions, organisations who have used the .ng domain name to shape narratives, empower our communities and strengthen our digital economy."