ICANN’s Vice President, Stakeholder Engagement for Africa, Pierre Dandjinou, speaks about the recent report on the New Generic Top-Level Domains and the opportunities for brands to bridge existing knowledge gap. Emma Okonji presents the excerpts: Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), recently released a report on the New Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLD) for brands. What are the opportunities for brands, as highlighted in the report? ICANN recently contracted a survey of over 2,000 marketing leaders in eight countries: Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, the U.K., and the U.S. The purpose of the research was to paint a picture of the evolving digital marketing landscape by understanding the key challenges, priorities, and trends that are top-of-mind for marketers today. ICANN also wanted to understand the current level of awareness of and perceptions toward gTLDs in light of the next round of the New gTLD Programme, which is set to open in April 2026. The results of the survey showed that a majority of marketing leaders believe gTLDs have strong potential for enhancing brand presence online; however, a knowledge gap is preventing many brands from taking advantage of the opportunities that a gTLD can bring. According to respondents, these opportunities include enhanced brand differentiation (46 per cent), improved customer trust (45 per cent), better control over online presence (44 per cent), and improved search engine optimization (SEO) (44 per cent). gTLDs enable businesses in specific countries, sectors, or niche markets to create exclusive, descriptive, and memorable labels on the Internet. For brands, operating or using a customized TLD can increase brand visibility and provide enhanced security and greater control over online presence. What are some of the key findings of the research report in relation to brand’s perception about gTLD? The research shows that half of those surveyed believe that gTLDs have strong potential for enhancing brand presence online. Similarly, 48 per cent believe gTLDs are useful for specific branding strategies. What are the challenges for brands and how can brands tap into the gTLD to unlock their rich potential? According to the results from the survey, marketing leaders are facing significant challenges in standing out from competitors (53 per cent), attracting and engaging the right audience (52 per cent), and keeping pace with digital trends (47 per cent). And, when considering business challenges for the next 12 months, the same challenges were named. Our research reveals that marketing leaders around the world believe that gTLDs can empower businesses to create memorable online identities, strengthen brand recognition, and build stronger connections with target audiences. Over half (52 per cent) of respondents believe gTLDs have strong potential for branding and online presence, and 48 per cent view them as useful for specific branding strategies. This recognition is particularly strong in emerging markets; 74 per cent of Nigerian and 61 per centof Indian marketing leaders acknowledge the strong branding potential of gTLDs. Given details of the report, what concrete steps should brands take to bridge the knowledge gap around gTLD? Now is the moment for brand owners to consider applying for a gTLD, yet our research shows there is still a lack of awareness. I encourage your readers to visit the New gTLD Program: Next Round website to learn more about the program and what it can mean for communities, organisations, and businesses around the world. What are the opportunities for brands to embrace ICANN’s New gTLD Program: Next Round? The New gTLD Program offers a rare opportunity to manage and operate a key part of the Internet ecosystem and to create a unique space online that you can use in a variety of meaningful ways. This is a decision that should not be taken lightly because running a gTLD means that you are operating an Internet registry, a key piece of Internet infrastructure. That requires significant technical, financial, and operational resources. However, with appropriate planning and resources, managing a gTLD can be a powerful and innovative way to help achieve long-term business goals. The New gTLD Program: Next Round application window is set to open in April 2026. Businesses that are considering applying for a new gTLD are encouraged to visit the Next Round website for more information and resources that were created to help you make the right decision about applying for a gTLD. Can you expatiate on the Domain Name System (DNS) and how it could make the internet more accessible? The DNS is what makes the Internet navigable by turning Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, which are a series of numbers, into memorable names, like icann.org. Part of ICANN’s work is to enable the stable expansion of the DNS through the introduction of new generic top-level domains. This also includes Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs), which incorporate characters from different scripts, enabling people to use domain names and email addresses in scripts used in languages around the world. The New gTLD Program: Next Round presents an opportunity for entities and communities around the world to apply to operate a gTLD in a local script. As of today, 26 different scripts representing over 300 languages are currently supported in the DNS and can be applied for in the Next Round. The International Telecommunications Union (ITU), said in its ‘Facts And Figures 2024 Report’ that 2.6 billion people remained unconnected to the internet globally. How can ICANN help to bridge the connectivity gap and make the internet an integral part of life for the global masses? The expansion of the DNS through the introduction of IDNs has helped to reduce linguistic barriers to accessing the Internet by enabling people to navigate online using their own language and script. According to the International Telecommunication Union, many of the 2.6 billion people who are not yet online are from communities that speak and write in languages other than English. One of the most meaningful ways to address the connectivity gap is by introducing gTLDs and domain names that use more local languages and scripts. When people are empowered to connect to the Internet using their own language and script, they are more likely to have a satisfying and productive online experience. From the research report, Nigeria is among the over 2,000 marketing leaders from eight countries of the world that were surveyed. How will you describe the growth of digital marketing in Nigeria and the awareness around gTLDS in Nigeria? Our survey revealed that 54 per cent of all respondents are primarily focused on increasing brand awareness and visibility, followed by improving customer retention (45 per cent) and expanding into new markets (40 per cent). In Nigeria, these priorities are similarly reflected, with 58 per cent of marketing leaders focused on brand awareness, 47 per cent on customer retention, and 42 per cent on market expansion. This alignment underscores the global nature of branding challenges and opportunities. 74 per cent of Nigerian marketing leaders see strong branding potential in gTLDs, and 64 per cent consider them useful for specific branding strategies. Additionally, 57 per cent believe gTLDs can enhance brand differentiation, 60 per cent cite improved customer trust and engagement, and 54 per cent see better control over online presence as key benefits. What exactly are Top-level domains and what has been the impact on Nigerian businesses. What are the opportunities for the Nigerian brands? Top-level domains (TLDs) form the last part of a domain name, appearing after the dot. For example, in the domain name icann.org, the characters ‘org’ identify the TLD. Through ICANN’s 2012 New gTLD Program, more than 1,200 new unique names like .futbol and .pizza, and names in other alphabets and languages, were added to the Internet. The next round of the New gTLD Program will start taking applications in April 2026, making it the first opportunity for businesses and other established entities to apply for a new gTLD in over a decade. This presents a unique opportunity to shape the future of the Internet and, potentially, brands and businesses located in Nigeria. How can Nigerian businesses adopt the new gTLD as an innovative tool to boost commerce and communication? Operating or using a customised TLD has the potential to:Increase brand visibility and provide greater control over online presence.Defend against online fraud (spam, phishing, etc.) and lend legitimacy by differentiating brand websites and emails from potential scammers.Reach new audiences through the use of IDNs by allowing people to navigate the Internet in their preferred script. In your region, this could potentially help businesses reach new markets more directly than a Latin-based website or email.