Nigeria Needs to Regulate AI Now

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not a far-off idea or just a tech fantasy in Nigeria. It is already affecting many parts of our daily lives. In finance, banks and fintech companies use AI for customer service, spotting fraud, credit scoring, checking compliance, and digital lending. In healthcare, AI supports telemedicine, medical imaging, diagnosis, patient management, and local medical innovations. In agriculture, farmers and agritech companies use AI for crop analysis, giving farming advice, planning based on weather, monitoring with drones, and improving productivity. In education, AI is helping with personalized learning, skills training, tutoring, and classroom innovations.

AI is also changing the way we deliver services in telecommunications, e-commerce, manufacturing, public administration, security, energy, and transport. Automated systems are affecting how risks are assessed and decisions are made. AI is moving beyond labs and start-ups; it is becoming part of the way Nigeria works, growing faster than our government can keep up.

But according to a recent report by the Center for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity, the fast use of AI is happening without any legal rules. Nigeria has many digital goals, moving up 31 places in the Government AI Readiness Index and currently working on a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy. But without laws, citizens are at risk from powerful automated systems.

The Problems of Unregulated Technology

Not having rules for AI can cause serious harm to our society.

First, there is an increase in AI-related financial fraud. Deepfake videos and audio of well-known business leaders are being used to trick people into financial scams. Second, AI is being used to spread false information on a large scale, which could lead to more instability in our already fragile information environment, where false narratives have historically caused community and electoral tensions.

The rise of gender-based digital abuse is also worrying. Evidence shows that generative AI tools on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) are being used to alter real photos of women into sexualized images without their consent. When victims ask for justice, tech platforms often refuse to take responsibility. In rural areas, weak communities are exploited by apps that encourage filming and sharing videos of people without their consent for profit.

When tech moves this fast without proper checks, it stops being neutral; it increases inequality and disrespects citizens’ dignity.

AI rules are urgent. Delaying will let digital harms grow faster than we can fix them, giving away our national data control to untrustworthy companies. We need to act and set up the protections our citizens deserve.

Why Are We Failing in Governance?

So, why is this happening? Nigeria's current rules are very scattered, with legal gaps and weak institutions.

Right now, there is no law specifically for AI. While the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 exists, it only covers what happens to data, not what AI systems do with it. Problems like algorithmic profiling and bias often fall outside its reach. This gap is serious, especially since the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation has pointed out that algorithmic bias is a real risk to financial stability.

Worse, at least nine different regulatory bodies, including NITDA, NDPC, CBN, NCC, and FCCPC, have overlapping powers over digital spaces. Without coordination, enforcement is inconsistent, allowing powerful entities to take advantage while ordinary citizens suffer.

Adjusting Governance to Our Reality

Some people think that acting on AI too soon will hurt innovation or that Africa shouldn't try to control a tech it didn't create. This is a wrong and dangerous way of thinking. Nigeria regularly regulates foreign-made medicines, aviation systems, and telecoms to keep people safe; AI should be treated the same way.

But we must not just copy Western rules, like the European Union AI Act, which suit very different economies. Our governance must fit our own needs and recognize our serious resource challenges.

AI data centers use a lot of energy, consuming hundreds of terawatt-hours every year. For Nigeria to catch up on electricity enough to support serious AI projects, we would need about $10 billion each year for ten years. Given these gaps and our reliance on foreign tech, we should focus our rules on managing risks, protecting human rights, and ensuring citizen safety over tech hype.

Time to Act

To turn our hopes into safety, policymakers should create a rights-based and context-sensitive plan:

• Make Binding Laws: Quickly give presidential approval to the National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill, keeping strict transparency and audit rules.
• Create an Independent Regulator: Set up a National AI Regulatory Authority with the skills and power to check complex algorithms.
• Protect Citizen Rights: Ensure people have the legal “right to an explanation” and a clear way to appeal if they are harmed by automated decisions.
• Hold Platforms Accountable: Impose strict penalties on digital platforms that do not quickly remove harmful deepfakes and non-consensual content.
• Involve the Public: Include civil society organizations in audits, and use youth groups, like the NYSC, as advocates for digital accountability and community education.

AI rules cannot wait. Any delay will let digital harms grow faster than we can handle, giving away our national data control to companies without accountability. We must step out of the dark and create the protections our citizens deserve.