Africa needs stronger ownership of its digital identity to remain competitive and secure in the global digital economy, Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations Samuel Nartey George has said as he opened the 2025 Africa Domain Name System (DNS) Forum in Accra.
Addressing participants at the Accra International Conference Centre, he warned that the continent’s low number of registered domain names continues to undermine visibility, competitiveness and digital sovereignty.
“With over 1.3 billion people, Africa cannot continue to have only a few million registered domains. If we are to define our digital identity, secure our online space, and participate meaningfully in the global digital economy, we must strengthen our control of the digital foundations that shape our future,” he said.
The forum, organised by the Ghana Domain Name Registry with support from AfTLD, AfRegistrar and ICANN, brought together registries, registrars, policymakers, cybersecurity experts, academia and private sector leaders to discuss how to build a more resilient DNS ecosystem for Africa.
Discussions focused on routing security, DNS abuse mitigation, harmonised regulations, online fraud prevention and new business models to make domain services more accessible.
The minister described the Domain Name System, often called the Internet’s address book, as a strategic asset underpinning e-government services, digital commerce, fintech, education, healthcare and innovation. He cautioned that Africa’s limited presence in the global DNS weakens its ability to secure its online footprint and fully benefit from digital transformation.
He reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to strengthening the .gh namespace, expanding connectivity, improving cybersecurity and promoting local content. “Every .gh domain is a declaration of who we are and our readiness for digital business,” he said.
George also stressed the central role of young people in shaping the continent’s digital future. “Africa’s young people are not just consumers of the Internet, they must be architects of the Internet’s future in Africa,” he said.
He called for deeper collaboration across African countries, investment in digital talent and the development of trusted infrastructure to secure the continent’s place in the global Internet ecosystem.
The forum continues with high-level discussions and technical sessions aimed at expanding domain adoption and building stronger digital resilience across Africa.
