By 
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has intensified efforts to promote the practical adoption of Universal Acceptance (UA), urging organisations and technology developers to ensure their digital platforms can recognise, process and support domain names and email addresses across different languages and scripts.
The Commission made the call at a Universal Acceptance Workshop held in Lagos in collaboration with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and Upperlink.
The initiative is aimed at moving stakeholders beyond awareness of Universal Acceptance towards implementing the technical changes required to make Nigeria’s digital ecosystem more inclusive, interoperable and globally accessible.
NCC seeks practical implementation
Opeolu Oyebanji, Head of the Internet Infrastructure Unit at the NCC, said Universal Acceptance presents a significant opportunity for a multilingual country such as Nigeria to make digital services accessible to a broader range of users.
He explained that UA enables valid domain names and email addresses to be properly accepted, validated, processed, stored and displayed by internet-enabled applications, devices and systems, irrespective of their length, language or script.
“UA ensures that valid domain names and email addresses can be accepted, validated, processed, stored, and displayed correctly by Internet-enabled applications, devices and systems, regardless of their length, language or script,” Oyebanji said.
According to him, the initiative aligns with the NCC’s broader efforts to improve digital experiences, strengthen the resilience of the telecommunications ecosystem and promote inclusive digital services.
He noted that Universal Acceptance could also create opportunities for businesses, software developers and innovators by ensuring that their platforms can interact seamlessly with users and organisations across different linguistic and technological environments.
Oyebanji stressed, however, that achieving UA readiness would require more than awareness campaigns.
He urged organisations to test their websites, applications and email systems and make necessary upgrades, adding that Universal Acceptance should be incorporated into system architecture, software development, procurement processes and digital service delivery from the outset.
The workshop builds on previous UA awareness initiatives conducted by the NCC in 2023 and 2024. Unlike the earlier sessions, the latest engagement was designed to focus more closely on technical challenges and practical steps towards adoption.
ICANN highlights growing need for UA readiness
Yaovi Atohun, Director, Stakeholder Engagement and Operations – Africa at ICANN, said the continued expansion of the domain name system was making Universal Acceptance increasingly important.
He noted that domain names are now available in a wider range of scripts and can contain longer characters, creating potential compatibility challenges for digital platforms that were not designed to accommodate them.
“Domain names are becoming longer and are now available in different scripts and can sometimes create challenges for communication,” Atohun said.
He explained that the workshop provided participants with an opportunity to assess the UA readiness of selected websites, platforms and email systems.
According to him, while a number of organisations already have systems capable of supporting internationalised email addresses, technical solutions and resources are available to organisations whose systems are yet to achieve full compatibility.
Atohun encouraged organisations to involve their technical teams in the UA adoption process, stressing that responsibility for building a universally accessible digital environment extends beyond government.
He also urged participants to share the knowledge gained from the workshop with their respective organisations and technical teams.
“If the answer is no, they can direct their technical teams to the ICANN website and other available resources,” he said.
UA could protect future digital opportunities
Oluseun Taylor, representing Upperlink, said Universal Acceptance readiness was also important for ensuring that Nigerian businesses do not lose commercial opportunities because of technical incompatibilities.
He illustrated the potential consequences using a cross-border business scenario involving a Nigerian company seeking to communicate with a Qatari business whose website and email addresses use Arabic characters.
“If they send me an email, and I never get the email, because my email server does not accept Arabic emails. Does that mean that my $2 billion business will crash just because of that silly little thing? No. So, that’s basically what we’re talking about,” Taylor said.
He acknowledged that demand for domain names and digital services using indigenous Nigerian scripts may currently be relatively limited, partly because many Nigerians do not routinely type in Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa scripts.
However, he argued that the current level of demand should not prevent organisations from preparing their systems for future requirements.
“So in as much as, yeah, there’s not a big need, or there’s not a big demand for it right now. Let our systems be ready for something that we may need in the future. And you just never know,” Taylor said.
Building an inclusive digital ecosystem
The NCC said Universal Acceptance should not be viewed solely as an initiative for accommodating different languages online.
Rather, it is an important component of digital interoperability, ensuring that Nigeria’s technology infrastructure can communicate effectively with global systems and support emerging economic opportunities.
For businesses, UA readiness can help prevent technical barriers from excluding potential customers, partners or markets based on the format or language of their digital identities.
The Commission said it would continue engaging organisations and other stakeholders whose systems require improvements, while ICANN is expected to provide technical guidance and support where necessary.
The NCC’s renewed push signals a shift from simply creating awareness about Universal Acceptance towards encouraging measurable technical readiness across Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
Comments