We help government institutions and MDAs prepare a .gov.ng application through the appropriate registration process. This is a restricted namespace. The application needs genuine institutional authority and the required verification, not just an available domain name and payment.
A copyable registrar-route letter is included below. Print it on your government's or MDA's own official letterhead. It is our customer preparation template, not an official approval, a NiRA form or permission to use another organisation's identity.
IN THIS ARTICLE
01 Confirm the government entity and correct domain level
NiRA's policy reserves .gov.ng for government bodies and agencies. Its naming rules distinguish federal entities and state governments from state MDAs and local governments, which may use the appropriate fourth-level state namespace. Tell us the entity's official name, level of government and proposed domain before the letter is signed. Do not assume every agency can choose an unrestricted third-level name.
The policy identifies NITDA's verification role before activation. Any required institutional or governmental clearance must be genuine. A private contractor building a government website does not become the registrant merely by paying for hosting.
02 Choose the correct application route
| Route | Letter recipient | How to proceed |
|---|---|---|
| Through a NiRA-accredited registrar | Chief Operating Officer, NiRA | Coordinate the supported submission with our team; the registrar forwards it for verification |
| Directly through NITDA | Director General, NITDA | Follow NITDA's published direct-application instructions |
Do not submit conflicting requests through several routes at the same time. If an application already exists, tell us its reference and handling organisation. For a domain created directly through NITDA, changes may also need to follow that existing management route.
03 Prepare the required authorisation details
NITDA's published procedure requires a letter signed by the head of the institution/MDA or the next officer in its hierarchy. It also asks for at least two nameservers and administrative and technical contacts with names, designations, reachable telephone numbers and email addresses. The administrative contact must be institutional/MDA staff. The technical contact may be an appropriate consultant where technical staff are unavailable.
Use reachable existing contact details, not only an email address on the domain that has not yet been activated. Confirm nameserver hostnames in advance. The letter should describe the actual government entity and requested name clearly enough for verification.
04 Copy this .gov.ng registration-letter template
This version is for the registrar route. Replace all bracketed text, confirm the proposed domain's permitted structure with us, and obtain the appropriate real signature before scanning.
[PRINT ON THE GOVERNMENT ENTITY'S GENUINE OFFICIAL LETTERHEAD]
[Full official name of institution/MDA]
[Official address, telephone and existing contact email]
Date: [day month year]
Our reference: [official reference, if used]
The Chief Operating Officer
Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA)
8 Funsho Williams Avenue
Iponri, Surulere
Lagos, Nigeria
Dear Sir/Madam,
APPLICATION AND AUTHORISATION FOR [requested government domain]
[Full official name of institution/MDA] requests registration of
[exact proposed domain name] for its official website and email.
We are a [federal/state/local government entity and official function].
The requested name represents our institution/MDA as follows:
[explain the name or approved abbreviation].
We authorise the administrative and technical contacts below to
coordinate this application and respond to verification enquiries.
The government institution/MDA is the intended registrant.
Nabtech may assist with the registrar-route submission.
ADMINISTRATIVE CONTACT (STAFF MEMBER OF THE INSTITUTION/MDA)
Full name: [name]
Official designation: [position]
Department and official address: [details]
Reachable telephone: [number with country code]
Existing reachable email: [email]
TECHNICAL CONTACT
Full name: [name]
Designation/organisation: [position and organisation]
Relationship: [staff member, or authorised consultant where appropriate]
Reachable telephone: [number with country code]
Existing reachable email: [email]
NAMESERVERS
Nameserver 1: [first nameserver hostname]
Nameserver 2: [second nameserver hostname]
[Additional nameservers, if applicable]
We confirm that the details are accurate and that the officers above
are authorised to assist with verification. Please advise us of any
additional evidence or correction required for this application.
Yours faithfully,
[Actual signature of head of institution/MDA or next officer in hierarchy]
[Full name]
[Official designation]
[Direct official telephone/email]
[Official stamp, where applicable]
Enclosures: [list the applicable authorisation or clearance documents]05 Submit and follow the verification
- Open an authenticated support ticket with the requested domain and relevant service or order reference.
- Provide the completed signed letter and any applicable clearance or supporting evidence through the instructions in that case.
- Check that names, designations, domain spelling and nameservers agree across the documents.
- Keep the named officers reachable for verification and respond to clarification requests promptly.
- Wait for the actual approval and registration outcome before treating the domain as active.
We will guide the preparation and the supported submission route. Approval is not automatic, and a stated processing target should not be treated as a guarantee when documents are incomplete or verification is pending. Ask us for the current charges for any services we provide; government verification and our associated hosting or assistance are separate matters.
06 Check the result before launching
After approval, verify the exact registered name, institutional contacts and active nameservers. Then configure and test the website, mailboxes, DNS records and HTTPS for the intended services. Our launch checklist separates these tasks so that domain activation is not mistaken for a complete working website.
07 Questions we receive
Can our consultant be the administrative contact?
NITDA's published procedure requires the administrative contact to be a member of the institution/MDA's staff. An appropriate consultant may be identified as the technical contact where the procedure permits.
Should a direct NITDA letter use the same recipient?
No. The direct route is addressed to the Director General of NITDA. Use the recipient for the route actually handling your application and confirm delivery details before sending documents.
What if the officers or nameservers change later?
Use an authorised update request. Our government-domain change guide includes an update-letter template and explains how to record the exact old and new values.
Related articles
- Register a .edu.ng domain with us: requirements and letter template
- Prepare and send us a complete institutional .ng application pack
- Request .gov.ng contact or nameserver changes with an authorisation letter
- Correct and resubmit a returned .edu.ng or .gov.ng application
- Launch your institution’s website and email after domain approval
- Change nameservers for a domain registered with us