Stakeholders in Nigeria’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector have expressed concerns over the inclusion of a foreign country code top-level domain (ccTLD) in a recent partnership under the Federal Government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme.
The concerns followed the announcement by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) of a 10 million-dollar partnership with Hello.cv, a platform associated with Cape Verde’s “.cv” country code domain.
Under the agreement, 20,000 beneficiaries of the 3MTT programme will receive access to Hello.cv’s profile package, which includes a personal .cv domain, an artificial intelligence-powered job search agent and professional CV writing services.
Some industry stakeholders argue that the arrangement appears inconsistent with the Federal Government’s “Nigeria First Policy”, which encourages Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to prioritise local products and services.
The policy, approved by the Federal Executive Council in May 2025, seeks to reduce dependence on foreign goods and services, strengthen domestic industries and create jobs.
Speaking on the development, Chief Executive Officer of DNS Africa Media and Communications, Dr. Adebunmi Akinbo, said the use of a foreign domain for Nigerian trainees raised questions about data protection and digital sovereignty.
According to him, the country’s indigenous domain, .ng, managed by the Nigeria Internet Registration Association, is capable of accommodating the beneficiaries and should have been prioritised.
“If branding is important to the company, there are alternatives such as integrating the service within the .ng ecosystem. The focus should remain on promoting Nigeria’s digital identity and protecting citizens’ data,” he said.
Akinbo also expressed concerns about the storage and management of data generated through the platform, noting that government agencies should ensure that local digital assets remain at the forefront of national digital development efforts.
Also commenting, Emmanuel Amos, Chief Executive Officer of Programos and Innovationbed-AI Academy, said government institutions needed to demonstrate consistency in implementing policies designed to strengthen local technology ecosystems.
According to him, Nigeria must develop the institutional commitment required to support indigenous technology solutions and maximise value from local innovation.
The stakeholders noted that while the training partnership itself was commendable, the inclusion of a foreign domain component had generated questions about compliance with the spirit of the Nigeria First Policy.
Ugonma Egwuatu, an ICT and data protection expert at ECAM Global Services, called for greater clarity regarding data governance arrangements under the partnership.
She said agencies responsible for data protection should be satisfied that adequate safeguards were in place for the personal information of programme beneficiaries.
“We are dealing with the data of about 20,000 individuals. There should be clear explanations regarding how the data will be managed, protected and utilised,” she said.
Egwuatu added that transparency regarding data handling processes and any third-party arrangements would help address concerns among stakeholders.
The partnership is part of ongoing efforts by the ministry to equip young Nigerians with digital skills and improve their access to employment opportunities in the global technology ecosystem.
As of the time of filing this report, the ministry had not publicly responded to the concerns raised by stakeholders regarding the domain component of the partnership.
