If you’re new to blogging, website ownership, etc. in Nigeria, you might struggle to figure out the ideal company for your domain registration and web hosting in the country.

In addition to great customer support, top-level security and moderate pricing, ICAAN’s accreditation are ideally one of the features you should look out for in your preferred domain registrar. ICAAN’s accreditation is an exercise which comes at a cost.

Probably because they can’t bear this cost, most domain registrars in Nigeria do not have any accreditation from ICAN. You should note that despite not being ICAAN-accredited, some domain registrars are actually worth choosing. If ICAAN’s accreditation is one of the indispensable criteria for your choice of a domain registrar in Nigeria, you might end up with very limited options because WhoGoHost and Upperlink are the only ICAAN-accredited domain registrars in the country.

As an intending Nigerian blogger or somebody looking to start a business website, you might want to find out the best domain registrars in Nigeria. Helpfully, this post will arm you with relevant information about the 7 best web domain registrars in the country.

What Are the 7 Best Domain Registrars in Nigeria Today?

WhoGoHost

WhoGoHost is certainly not a new name to anyone who’s familiar with domain registration and/or web hosting in Nigeria. As a top domain registrar and web host, WhoGoHost is said to have been in business for decades. It has even been billed as the most popular web host and a domain registrar in Nigeria and West Africa as a whole.

WhoGoHost caters to the domain registration and web hosting needs of a large clientele of enterprises, individuals, companies and businesses. As a domain registrar, WhoGoHost offers a free .ng domain in its WP Beginner hosting package. Interestingly, a company like WhoGoHost helps you kick-start your site creation journey, courtesy of the easy domain and hosting registration provided on the company’s official website.

Especially if you’re willing to have a WordPress-powered site, WhoGoHost is most likely your best pick for domain registration and web hosting in Nigeria. This is because WhoGoHost offers relatively affordable WordPress hosting. Some of WhoGoHost’s other hosting types include email hosting, cloud hosting, and shared hosting.

While some domain registration and/or web hosting companies will definitely charge you certain fees for helping you transfer your domain or web hosting, the case with WhoGoHost is totally different. WhoGoHost lets you switch from a different registrar or web host (to WhoGoHost) without having to incur any fee. In simpler words, you can change your web host and/or domain registrar to WhoGoHost at no cost.

Our verdict on WhoGoHost is that it isn’t only a provider of domain registration and web hosting services, but also the top recommendation for setting up a befitting domain name and great hosting for a WordPress site in Nigeria. One of the worthy things to know about WhoGoHost, which operates from Lagos, Nigeria, is that the company falls among the ICAAN-accredited web hosts and domain registrars in the country.

Upperlink

Upperlink is an accredited provider of domain registration and web hosting services. It is one of the highly recommended options among domain registrars in Nigeria. Upperlink is clearly one of the affordable domain registrars in Nigeria as its .site domain extension costs as low as #976 per year. Some of the (domain) extensions available in Upperlink’s Top-Level Domains (TLDs) are .ng, .com, .site, .online, .com.ng, and .africa.

While Upperlink offers great and round-the-clock customer support, one other interesting side of this domain registrar is the fact that its data centres are based in England, Canada and the US. As a Nigerian, it is advantageous for you to host your website with, as well as purchase domains from, a provider whose data centres are in any of the countries –such as USA, Canada, etc. –with internet services much better than what is obtained in Nigeria.

Beyond the good things we’ve mentioned about Upperlink, it’s noteworthy that this giant domain registrar also lets you switch from a different registrar (to Upperlink) without having to incur any fee. In simpler words, this means Upperlink doesn’t charge you any fee for helping you transfer your domain name. For a fact, it isn’t all domain registrars that offer this (transfer) service at no cost.

While Upperlink seems to have cemented its place among the affordable domain registrars in Nigeria, some of the registrar’s domain extensions and their (yearly) prices are as follows: .africa (#12,100), .ng (#5,500), .site (#976), .com (#6,200), .XYZ (#1,213), .online (#2,196), and .com.ng (#1,200).

Not only is Upperlink a great option for domain registration in Nigeria, it is also one of the reliable hosting providers in Nigeria. Upperlink’s web hosting package offers a number of perks including a free SSL certificate, Codeguard, Sitelock, etc.

DomainKing

With just #600 per year, you can purchase a domain from DomainKing. Therefore, there’s absolutely no lie in the assertion that DomainKing is one of Nigeria’s web hosting and domain registration companies with pretty affordable domains. Some of the domain extensions offered by DomainKing include .co.in, .com.ng, .pw, .co.uk, .in, and .co.

As a top-rated domain registrar, DomainKing prioritizes its customers’ security and so, it offers Domain Theft Protection & Registrar Lock, and Free Privacy Protection. If you think it’s only in the area of domain service that DomainKing performs excellently, you may have to think otherwise. DomainKing, of course, provides customers with an amazing web hosting experience. Some of the perks included in DomainKing’s hosting package are free DNS management, free SSL certificate, unmetered bandwidth, etc.

Particularly, the benefit of having unmetered bandwidth, just as offered by DomainKing, is that your website will be able to handle high traffic comfortably. If you really don’t want your website’s speed to drastically reduce as a result of the numerous visits the site attracts daily, it’s up to you to choose a hosting provider –such as DomainKing –that offers free unmetered bandwidth.

Some of DomainKing’s other beneficial features are Unlimited Mail Forwards, Free Domain Forwarding, Free DNS Service, and regular site backup. With this guarantee of regular backup, your site is certain to experience DomainKing’s backup more than once daily. While it offers round-the-clock customer support in addition to the .ng domain extension, DomainKing is one of the most reliable domain registrars in Nigeria. Customers can get through to the company’s customer support reps via email, social media, and live chat.

DomainKing is undeniably a popular name in Nigeria’s web hosting space. Not only has it established its footing among the best hosting companies in Nigeria, DomainKing is also an accredited domain registrar. It’s been accredited by several well-known registries including NIRA and ICAAN.

Qservers

Multichannel customer support, regular daily site backup, affordable pricing, excellent uptime, etc., are just some of the features that place Qservers in the lineup of the best domain registrars and web hosts in Nigeria.

Whether it’s for beginners, professionals or companies, Qservers allows for hassle-free domain registration and web hosting in Nigeria. Qservers also offers great customer support through which customers can contact its representatives via several channels –email, live chat, phone, and support tickets.

As a domain registrar and web host committed to customers’ satisfaction, Qservers conducts backup sessions on the customers’ websites twice daily. You’re, therefore, likely to enjoy great security for your site’s content if you host the site with Qservers.

Qservers isn’t a new player among the top domain registrars in Nigeria. Having commenced operations in 2004, Qservers is, in fact, one of the long-standing domain registrars and web hosts in Nigeria. Nigerian bloggers, webmasters, and any other person who’s familiar with the Nigerian web hosting industry may attest that they have come across the name of this domain registration and web hosting company on several occasions.

For some people, Qservers is the best Nigerian-owned hosting company for eCommerce (web) hosting. In addition to offering domain registration, Qservers offers an array of hosting services including shared hosting, VPS hosting, dedicated hosting, and eCommerce hosting.

HostNowNow

HostNowNow is an accredited provider of domain registration and web hosting services. Some of the domain extensions offered by HostNowNow include .org, .ng, .edu.ng, .net, and .com.ng.

It is advantageous for Nigerians to host their websites with, as well as purchase domains from, providers whose data centres are in any of the countries –such as the USA, Canada, etc. –with internet services much better than what is obtained in Nigeria. HostNowNow understands the latter, and that is why the domain registrar stationed its data centre in the United Kingdom.

HostNowNow is not only a great option for domain registration in Nigeria but also one of the most reliable hosting providers in the country. For instance, some of the perks that come with HostNowNow’s ROBIN shared hosting package include free SSL, five free sub-domains, unlimited SQL DB, unlimited emails, a free domain, one hosted addon domain, and free 3GB of disk space.

Founded by the duo of Emmanuel Olorunseyi and Ayodeji Niyi-Adesola, HostNowNow is an award-winning domain registrar and web host which is considered very ideal for hosting small business websites. HostNowNow offers reliable customer support through which customers can contact its representatives using email, live chat, phone calls, and the support ticket option.

HostNowNow has been in operation since 2015, and it’s considered an ideal option for the web hosting needs of both small and medium-scale businesses. Besides offering domain registration at affordable prices, HostNowNow provides customers with web hosting services in various categories, some of which include dedicated hosting, shared hosting, and VPS hosting.

HostNowNow guarantees its customers a couple of interesting things including affordable domains, WordPress hosting, massive bandwidth, and a cPanel account which is offered as an add-on to the company’s hosting package. It’s noteworthy that, beyond the decent number of perks we’ve just mentioned about HostNowNow, the domain registrar and web host also allow you to switch from a different registrar and/or web host without having to incur any fee. In simpler words, this means HostNowNow doesn’t charge you any fee for helping you transfer your domain name or web hosting.

The fact that HostNowNow lets you transfer web hosting or domain at zero cost is something to be delighted about simply because many other web hosting or domain registration companies will definitely charge you for the transfer (service).

Garanntor

Garanntor is clearly an inexpensive web host as its shared hosting package carries a starting price of #200 per month. In fact, Garanntor is currently touted as the most affordable option among domain registrars and web hosts in Nigeria. While Garanntor seems to have cemented its place among the best domain registrars in Nigeria, some of the registrar’s domain extensions and their (yearly) prices are as follows: .ng (#4,000), .name.ng (#400), .org (#7,500), .com (#6,000), .com.ng (#999), and .net (#7,500).

Aside from offering comparatively low pricing as a web host cum domain registrar, Garanntor provides customers with web hosting services in various categories, some of which include VPS hosting, shared hosting, and WordPress hosting.

Garanntor offers customer support through which customers can connect with the hosting company’s representatives using support ticket and live chat means. Since it began operating in 2016, Garanntor has remained one of the notable domain registrars and hosting providers in Nigeria. This hosting company boasts a growing customer base in the country.

As a web host, Garanntor may be recommended to all kinds of individuals and businesses in need of hosting service. And if you make Garanntor your choice of hosting provider, the benefits you’ll enjoy, irrespective of your chosen hosting package, include a free SSL certificate, and a free website builder, among others.

Smartweb

Although it doesn’t seem as popular as some of the names above, Smartweb is definitely a recognized player in Nigeria’s web hosting and domain registration space. Some of Smartweb’s domain extensions and their (yearly) prices are as follows: .biz (#10,000), .ng (#5,500), .com (#5,500), .online (#1,800), .org (#7,000), and .com.ng (#1,100).

Smartweb is not only a great option for domain registration in Nigeria, but also one of the reliable hosting providers in the country. For instance, some of the perks associated with Smartweb’s hosting package include a free SSL certificate, a free website builder, professional email address, and one free domain. Adding to Smartweb’s free domain is the chance to select your preference from the domain registrar’s lineup of domain extensions.

If you’re willing to choose Smartweb, you might not have to worry about the reliability of the domain registrar, probably because it falls among the domain registrars that have been accredited by the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA).

Smartweb offers customer support through which customers can connect with the hosting company’s representatives using such channels as email, phone and support ticket. In the Nigerian web hosting market, Smartweb is especially one of the notable companies with Windows and Linux hosting packages. Smartweb’s other hosting services include shared hosting, cloud hosting, VPS hosting and WordPress hosting.

With all that has been said thus far, our verdict on Smartweb is that it is a large-scale company that various clients –small businesses, web designers, content creators, developers, etc. –can turn to for domain registration and web hosting services.

FAQs

What Do I Benefit from Choosing a Nigerian Domain Registrar?

Easy access to the .ng domain extension is perhaps the most noticeable benefit of choosing a Nigeria-focused domain registrar.

If .ng is the domain extension you want for your blog or website, Nigerian domain registrars are undoubtedly your best bet among domain registrars. This is because you’re certain to easily get this domain extension with any of the domain registrars in Nigeria.

In the larger domain registration and web hosting industry, the majority of the big players (i.e. international domain registrars cum web hosts) do not offer the .ng domain extension. If you want the .ng domain extension at all costs, you definitely need to choose a Nigeria-focused domain registrar from the stack of registrars out there.

What Is the Cheapest Domain Registrar in Nigeria?

Considering that you can pay as low as #400 yearly for its .name.ng domain extension, Garanntor is likely the cheapest domain registrar in Nigeria. We definitely can’t deny the possibility of cheaper (and probably unknown) Nigerian domain registrars, but based on our findings, Garanntor is a very cheap option, in terms of pricing, among the best domain registrars in Nigeria.

Are the Domain Registrars in Nigeria Worth Choosing?

Nigerian domain registrars have their weaknesses, but they are definitely worth being considered by anyone who intends to conveniently pay for domain purchases in naira. This, without any doubt, is the major reason why some Nigerian bloggers and webmasters have stuck to Nigerian domain registrars over the years.

Nigerians who don’t use any cross-border payment processing services –such as PayPal, etc. –will most likely agree that it’s difficult or impossible to pay for domain purchases in dollars. To avoid encountering difficulty, such Nigerians rather subscribe to Nigerian domain registrars because these companies allow them to pay for domain registration in naira. Whether it’s through bank transfer or debit card, payments for domain purchases can be easily made in naira while dealing with any of the domain registrars in Nigeria.

Are There ICAAN-Accredited Domain Registrars in Nigeria?

Yes, but they’re relatively few. These few ICAAN-accredited domain registrars in Nigeria are notably WhoGoHost and Upperlink.

While ICAAN stands for Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, there’s no doubt that ICAAN’s accreditation is important for a domain registrar. With such accreditation under its belt, the domain registrar can project itself as an authentic and trustworthy company in front of prospective customers.

It’s worth noting that some of the Nigerian domain registrars without ICAAN’s accreditation seem to have been accredited by other authoritative bodies such as NIRA, which stands for Nigeria Internet Registration Association.

Conclusion

If you’ve been reading this post carefully, you must have observed that all of the listed domain registrars double up as web hosts. This makes it a fact that you can conveniently stick to a single company for both domain registration and web hosting in Nigeria.

Now that we’ve walked you through a detailed list of the 7 best domain registrars in Nigeria, we’re pretty sure that you can easily decide which of the listed domain registrars is best for you.