DNS Policy as Driver and Barrier: Investigating the Intersection of Security, Governance, and Innovation in Nigeria’s Digital Economy

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@article{1720019,
      author = {Nuraini Usman, Babawuro Usman},
      title = {DNS Policy as Driver and Barrier: Investigating the Intersection of Security, Governance, and Innovation in Nigeria’s Digital Economy},
      journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
      year = {2026},
      volume = {10},
      number = {1},
      pages = {2845-2859},
      issn = {2456-8880},
      url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1720019.pdf},
      abstract = {The DNS stands as a backbone of the internet infrastructure that drives the digital economy globally. Its policies profile governance structures, impact cybersecurity resilience, and govern innovation potentials. In Nigeria, the digital economy contributed approximately 18.44 percent to the nation’s GDP in 2022, yet DNS policy integration with digital development strategies remains fragmented. The aim of the study is to investigates how DNS policy acts instantaneously as a meaningful driver and a barrier across three intersecting dimensions: security, governance, and innovation of the digital economy in Nigeria. The methodology uses a qualitative resource, policy-analytics for DNS. The insights vividly highlighted the five dominant dynamics that define this driver-barrier division. (i) policy disintegration among the NCC, the NITDA, and the NiRA creates government barriers through overlapping mandates but can also drive distributed investigation. (ii) insufficient DNSSEC adoption and DDoS resilience will constitute a security barrier that leaves the DNS infrastructure vulnerable, although fast-tracked deployment would transform a driver of trust. (iii) limited multi-stakeholder coordination acts as a governance barrier that prevents meaningful accountability. Participating in organized coordination drives legitimacy. (iv) DNS-determined digital identity and innovation integration powerfully drive startup and home-grown content growth through .ng namespace, uniformly though expensive registration and renewal costs which lead to the continuity of a persistent barrier to new entry. (v) Universal and Local Policy models offer driver lessons, for instance DNSSEC lower fees and mandates whereas exposing barrier risks comprising of over-regulation and consolidated surveillance. Hence, DNS policy is neither purely beneficial nor harmful in Nigeria, meaningful DNS governance serves as a tactical enabler intended for digital transformation, simply only if the essential barriers of the DNS are systematically addressed. This paper recommends reorganization of the DNS policy to effectively align with the NCC, NITDA, and NiRA directives with the NDEPS through launching meaningful multi-stakeholder governance, accelerating DNSSEC deployment, integrating and implementing an evidence-based policy monitoring frameworks to effectively strengthen drivers and minimize barriers. },
      keywords = {Domain Name System, DSN Policy, Digital Economy, Internet Governance, Regulatory Frameworks, NDEPS, DNSSEC, Driver-Barriers Analysis, Innovations},
      month = {July},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV10I1-1720019}
  }