Nigeria’s Digital Economy Bill Could Rewrite Governance
Nigeria is on the brink of its most ambitious digital shift yet. With the National Digital Economy Bill, 2025 now awaiting President Bola Tinubu’s signature, the country is preparing to rebuild government, business, and society around a digital-first foundation, much like how banking apps transformed finance. If signed, it will become the first of its kind in Africa and the legal backbone of how Nigeria will function in the global digital economy for decades.
Communications Minister Bosun Tijani describes the bill as a catalyst for Nigeria’s $1 trillion economy mission. But beyond the headline figure, the legislation tackles something more fundamental: it makes digital transactions fully valid in the eyes of the law. For years, Nigerian institutions have been held back by paper-based processes, physical signatures, in-person verification, and printed documents, slowing down everything from contracts to tax filings. This bill flips that script.
Under the new law, electronic signatures become just as legally binding as handwritten ones. Digital contracts hold the same weight as paper contracts. Government agencies can accept filings electronically instead of requiring citizens to physically show up at offices with documents tucked under their arms. The bill even introduces advanced “digital signatures” with strict security standards, making them more tamper-proof than traditional ink signatures.
The legislation also modernises the entire ecosystem of digital record-keeping. It establishes rules for electronic timestamps, recognises electronic transferable records like digital bills of lading for shipping, and sets legally sound methods for storing and retaining digital documents. Crucially, foreign electronic signatures and certificates will also be recognised, making cross-border digital trade smoother for Nigerian businesses.
But the biggest shift comes from what the bill mandates: full digitisation of government. Ministries, departments, and agencies will no longer have the option to remain offline. Every institution must establish an ICT unit, automate its services, and adopt interoperable systems that allow seamless data exchange between agencies. The vision is simple, submit your documents once and never again. No more duplication. No more inefficiencies caused by government silos.
To make this future possible, the bill requires that ICT infrastructure be baked into every new government building, road, railway line, or public facility. It also introduces digital literacy certification as a requirement for civil service promotions, ensuring the workforce is capable of using the digital systems being deployed.
The bill doesn’t stop at government operations, it redefines consumer rights and digital commerce. Online vendors must provide accurate product information in languages consumers understand. Buyers get the right to cancel orders before they are processed and must be notified when vendors cannot fulfil orders as promised. Privacy obligations are strict: companies must protect personal data, clearly disclose privacy policies, collect only necessary information, and remain responsible for data even when shared with third parties.
There are also guardrails against unsolicited messages and spam. Any electronic marketing must include clear unsubscribe options. Anti-competitive behaviour in digital markets will be monitored through a partnership between the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC). And for organisations that fail to comply, the penalties are steep: corporate bodies face fines starting at ₦10 million, individuals at ₦1 million, with higher fines for repeat offenders.
The bill arrives at a time when Nigeria’s digital economy is rapidly expanding, growing from 16% to 19% of GDP, with a target of 21% by 2027. But lawmakers argue that this legislation is less about numbers and more about building the foundation for innovation, entrepreneurship, and a fairer digital marketplace. To support this transformation, the government has already kicked off massive infrastructure investments: 90,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cable nationwide and nearly 4,000 new communication towers to connect underserved communities.
For everyday Nigerians, the impact could be transformative. Renewing licences, applying for permits, accessing healthcare records, paying taxes, or interacting with government could be as simple as opening an app. Businesses will be able to register, file, and operate online. Students in remote areas can access learning resources without needing to travel. And with a new national AI framework built into the bill, Nigeria positions itself to responsibly adopt and deploy emerging technologies across critical sectors.
Senate ICT Committee Chairman Shuaib Salisu calls the proposed law “the backbone of the digital economy,” and the wide support from agencies such as the NCC, NIPOST, NICOMSAT, and Galaxy Backbone reinforces its importance. However, not everyone is fully aligned. The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has expressed concerns about sections of the bill that, in their view, grant NITDA regulatory powers that currently fall under the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). The industry debate is ongoing, but the consensus remains that Nigeria needs a unified digital legal framework, what’s under discussion is how to structure it fairly.
If signed, the National Digital Economy Bill could become one of Nigeria’s most consequential laws since the introduction of GSM. It promises to make government work with the speed, clarity, and efficiency Nigerians expect from their banking apps, and to push the country into a future where digital services are not a privilege but the default.