If you have ever registered a .ng domain, you have probably seen terms like NiRA, registrar, ccTLD, or WHOIS and wondered what they actually mean. This glossary breaks down the organizations and jargon behind Nigeria's domain system in plain language.

What Is NiRA?

NiRA stands for the Nigeria Internet Registration Association. It is the non-profit organization responsible for managing Nigeria's country-code domain, .ng. Think of NiRA as the caretaker of Nigeria's slice of the internet's address book.

NiRA's core responsibilities include:

• Maintaining the registry — the master database of every .ng domain and who owns it.
• Accrediting registrars — approving the companies allowed to sell .ng domains to the public.
• Setting policy — deciding the rules for registration, disputes, pricing structure, and renewals.
• Protecting registrants — for example, by providing free WHOIS privacy on .ng domains.

NiRA does not usually sell domains directly to you. Instead, you buy through an accredited registrar like NG Domain.

The Key Players

Registry

The registry is the organization (and the central database it runs) that manages an entire domain extension. For .ng, NiRA is the registry. The registry keeps the authoritative record of which names are registered and which name servers they point to.

Registrar

A registrar is a company accredited by the registry to sell domains to the public. When you register yourbusiness.com.ng, you do it through a registrar, which then records your registration in NiRA's registry. NG Domain is a NiRA-accredited registrar.

Registrant

The registrant is you — the person or organization that owns and controls a registered domain.

Reseller

A reseller sells domains but is not directly accredited by the registry. They operate under an accredited registrar's platform. Buying from an accredited registrar directly is usually cheaper and more reliable.

Core Technical Terms

ccTLD

A country-code Top-Level Domain is a two-letter domain assigned to a specific country. .ng is Nigeria's ccTLD, just as .uk is the United Kingdom's and .ke is Kenya's.

TLD and Second-Level Domain

The Top-Level Domain (TLD) is the last part of a domain, like .ng. A second-level domain sits just before it. In .com.ng, the .com is a second-level label that groups commercial sites — so mystore.com.ng is a third-level registration under the com.ng zone.

DNS

The Domain Name System is the internet's phonebook. It translates human-friendly names like ngdomain.ng into the numeric IP addresses computers use to find each other.

Name Server

A name server is a specialized server that stores your domain's DNS records and answers queries about where your website and email live. When you register a domain, you point it to name servers.

WHOIS

WHOIS is a public lookup service that shows information about a registered domain — when it was created, when it expires, and (unless privacy is enabled) who owns it. NiRA provides free WHOIS privacy for .ng domains, keeping your personal details hidden.

EPP

The Extensible Provisioning Protocol is the behind-the-scenes language registrars use to communicate with the registry to register, renew, and transfer domains. You rarely see it, but it makes the whole system work.

Auth Code (EPP Code)

An authorization code, sometimes called an EPP code or transfer secret, is a password that proves you own a domain when you want to transfer it to another registrar.

Lifecycle Terms

Registration Period

The length of time you hold a domain, usually paid for in one-year increments.

Renewal

Paying to extend your registration before it expires. Miss it, and you risk losing the name.

Grace Period

A short window after expiry during which you can still renew at the normal price.

Redemption Period

A later, more expensive window after the grace period ends, where you can recover a lapsed domain — usually at a penalty fee.

Domain Transfer

Moving a domain from one registrar to another while keeping the same ownership. This requires your auth code.

Why This Matters

Understanding these terms puts you in control. You will know who to contact when something goes wrong, why your domain points where it does, and how to protect and move your name safely.

Have a .ng name in mind? Search it on NG Domain and put your new vocabulary to work.