ACCRA, GHANA – December 10, 2025 – The Ghana Domain Name Registry (GDNR) successfully hosted the Africa Domain Name System (DNS) Forum 2025 in Accra, Ghana, bringing together continental leaders under the critical banner of “Resiliency of the DNS in Africa.” This high-level event, organized in collaboration with the Africa Top Level Domains Organization (AfTLD), the Africa Registrar Association (AfRegistrar), the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), AFNIC, NIRA, PIR and supported by Ecoband served as a vital platform to address the structural challenges and opportunities within Africa’s digital ecosystem. The forum’s core objective was to galvanize the growth of the domain name industry in Africa, ensuring the continent can operate at a competitive global rate and finally bridge the gap of significantly low domain name uptake.
The sessions were robust, focusing on new developments in the African and global DNS ecosystem and seeking to strengthen stakeholder engagement. Experts explored strategic actions to improve regulatory mechanisms for data protection, promote the open-market 3R Model (Registry/Registrar/Registrant) to encourage competition, and facilitate the essential promotion of local content, all aimed at attracting more investors and businesses into the African DNS industry.
Delivering the government’s stance, the Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Mr. Samuel Nartey George, reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to strengthening Africa’s DNS resilience, calling it central to the continent’s digital sovereignty and economic transformation. He noted that hosting the forum demonstrated Ghana’s dedication to building a secure and inclusive digital economy through continuous investment in connectivity, cybersecurity, and local content development. The Minister took a moment to encourage the new age, Ghana’s energetic youth to embrace the spirit of innovation and learn from the foundational efforts of the continent’s digital pioneers. Crucially, he announced the government’s plan to collaborate with the Office of the Registrar General to ensure that as businesses are registered, they are simultaneously empowered to secure a .gh domain name, underscoring the government’s perspective that the .gh domain is a vital national asset that must be secured and utilized by Ghanaian entities.
A stark challenge was presented by Professor Nii Narku Quaynor, Africa’s father of the Internet, who underscored the urgent need for a fundamental shift in focus. Professor Quaynor warned that African institutions and governments risked undermining the sustainability of critical digital infrastructure by prioritizing what he termed “excessive attention to governance theories” over practical, hands-on operational and technical capacity. “You cannot govern what you have not built,” he stressed, pointing out that Africa’s digital resilience hinges on a technically competent workforce capable of managing modern DNS technologies like DNSSEC and advanced cryptographic systems. He cited findings from a recent ICANN study, noting that Africa only registers 4.4 domain names per 1,000 people—far below the global average of 45—a statistic that positions the continent as “not yet a full stakeholder” in the global DNS ecosystem.
Reinforcing this message, Mrs. Eyitayo Iyortim, President of the Africa Top Level Domains Organisation (AFTLD), emphasized that the DNS must be strategically recognized as the bedrock for Africa’s development. She highlighted that without a strong, reliable, and locally driven DNS ecosystem, the continent could not fully realize its aspirations in e-commerce, e-governance, digital identity, and technological innovation. The DNS, she passionately reminded attendees, is not just a technical protocol but “the backbone that enables digital services to function.”
The Ghana Domain Name Registry is proud to have served as the local host for this pivotal event, which has generated concrete action points and reaffirmed a shared continental ambition to shape Africa’s digital future according to its own realities. The GDNR remains committed to leading Ghana’s charge in building a more resilient, secure, and digitally inclusive nation.
