Nigeria's Digital Sovereignty: Analysis of Cybersecurity Legislation, Policies, and Strategies

TL;DR

This paper analyzes Nigeria's cybersecurity laws and policies, assessing their effectiveness in securing digital sovereignty amid evolving cyber threats through qualitative methods.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive evaluation of Nigeria's cybersecurity frameworks, highlighting gaps and proposing strategies for effective implementation and sustainable security outcomes.

Findings

Cybercrimes Act and NCPS have strengthened legal commitments.

Persistent gaps include enforcement and institutional coordination.

Achieving digital sovereignty requires better implementation and resource allocation.

Abstract

This paper examines Nigeria's pursuit of digital sovereignty through two core instruments: the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act and the National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy (NCPS). Despite recent reforms, it remains unclear whether these frameworks effectively secure Nigeria's digital domain and advance its digital sovereignty amid escalating cross-border cyber threats. Using a multi-method, triangulated qualitative design that combines document analysis, secondary analysis of existing studies, expert insights, and direct observation of cybersecurity developments, the paper assesses how these instruments operate in practice. The Cybercrimes Act (2015, amended 2024) and NCPS (2015, revised 2021) have strengthened Nigeria's commitments to tackling cybercrime, regulating digital activities, and protecting critical infrastructure. Yet persistent gaps remain, including legislative ambiguities, weak enforcement, uneven threat prioritization, limited institutional coordination, and loss of skilled professionals. The paper argues that achieving digital sovereignty will require stronger implementation, sustainable resourcing, workforce retention, and clearer accountability mechanisms to translate policy ambition into tangible and durable security outcomes.