Nigeria has not yet enacted a standalone artificial intelligence (AI) law, but its evolving AI governance framework comprises strategy documents, general laws with an impact on AI, and sector-specific AI rules. Nigeria further participates in international initiatives and is currently deliberating several AI-related legislative proposals.

The National AI Strategy, published in September 2025, sets out strategic objectives and implementation priorities for 2025–2029. It draws on international reference frameworks, including the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI and the US AI Risk Management Framework. Additional policy documents, such as the National Information Technology Development Agency's AI Transformation Roadmap, complement the non-binding strategy.

Several laws affecting the digital economy at large govern AI-related activities. They include the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024, the Copyright Act 2022, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018. Sectoral regulators have also adopted regulations and guidelines relevant to AI.

The National Assembly is currently deliberating several AI-focused bills, including a proposal to establish a National AI Commission and to instate a comprehensive regulatory framework. Other legislative proposals address specific issues related to AI, such as digital health and copyright. 

Nigeria participates in several international AI frameworks, such as the African Union initiatives on AI governance, the declarations adopted following AI Summits in Bletchley, Seoul, and Paris, as well as a series of bilateral agreements on AI with different counterparts. 

The report provides an overview of Nigeria's AI governance approach from both domestic and international perspectives, based on information available as of July 2026. It examines Nigeria's domestic AI governance landscape, including AI-specific strategies and legislative proposals, as well as general laws, binding rules, and non-binding guidance relevant to AI. It also outlines the regional and international AI governance initiatives in which Nigeria participates. Finally, it places Nigeria's approach in the context of eight other African jurisdictions systematically monitored by the Digital Policy Alert and provides an overview of global regulatory trends, including the approaches adopted by the European Union, the United States, China, and three Asian jurisdictions with comprehensive AI laws, before concluding with an overall assessment of Nigeria's AI governance approach.

Edited by Tommaso Giardini. Written as part of the Digital Policy Alert and AI Safety Nigeria collaboration by Maria Buza, Sherif Taha, Dr. Ayuba Tuodolo, Motiloluwa Oriowo, Rachael Ogochukwu, Nanfe Zipporah Yarnap, Andrew Ayobami, and David Jayeoba.

In September 2025, Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) published the National AI Strategy (NAIS). The Strategy established a framework for the development, adoption, and governance of AI between 2025 and 2029, setting three strategic objectives: economic growth and competitiveness, social development and inclusion, and technological advancement and leadership. 34 implementation strategies across government, industry, academia, and civil society contribute to these objectives. The Strategy explicitly references international frameworks, including the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI, the US AI Risk Management Framework, and the Bletchley Declaration. 

Regarding talent, the Strategy aims to equip 70% of Nigeria’s youth workforce with foundational AI competencies. FMCIDE also launched the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme in November 2023, to train three million Nigerians in technical skills such as data analysis, machine learning, and AI deployment. 

Regarding government use of AI, the National Information Technology Development Agency, the ICT policy implementing arm of FMCIDE, released its AI Transformation Roadmap in March 2025. It sets out an 18-month plan to integrate AI into the agency’s operations and targets a 50% reduction in document processing time and 80% staff adoption of AI tools. In February 2025, the Agency issued the Guidelines for Clearance of IT Projects for Federal Public Institutions, requiring National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) approval for the procurement of AI-enabled IT systems valued at NGN 10 million or more. 

Previously, in November 2020, Nigeria established the National Centre for AI and Robotics (NCAIR), under NITDA, as the government’s designated body for AI research, capacity building, and governance. The government further established the National AI Trust in February 2025, consisting of 10 AI experts and ministers, and aims to establish a High-Level AI Ethics Expert Group.

Nigeria has not adopted AI-specific legislation. Several legislative proposals¹ currently being discussed in the National Assembly would introduce provisions on the institutional governance of AI and regulatory requirements for AI providers.

In terms of institutional governance, the National AI Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2025 (SB 731), introduced to the Senate in February 2025, proposes a standalone regulatory body for AI. The National AI Regulatory Authority Bill (HB 1810), introduced to the House of Representatives in October 2024, consolidates four proposals to: 1) establish the National Institute for AI and Robotics Studies, 2) harmonise legal frameworks governing AI across national boundaries, 3) establish the National AI Regulatory Authority as a central body to oversee and enforce AI policies and standards, and 4) contribute to the framework for centralised AI regulation.

Regarding regulatory requirements, the Nigerian AI Bill, 2025 (HB 2567), introduced to the House of Representatives in October 2025, would create a regulatory framework for the ethical development, deployment, and governance of AI. Other bills are more narrow in scope: The Digital Health Services (Establishment) Bill, 2025 (HB 2198), introduced in March 2025, would establish a legal framework for AI in healthcare delivery, including telemedicine and AI diagnostic tools. The Copyright Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (HB 2559), introduced to the House of Representatives in October 2025, would create a copyright infringement offence related to AI: It would prohibit the unauthorised commercial use of an AI-generated digital replica of a performer's voice, image, likeness, or performance style, or its use in a manner intended to mislead the public. The Bill would require the written consent of the performer and provide remedies such as damages and injunctive relief.

Although Nigeria is yet to enact a dedicated AI law, a range of laws, binding rules, and non-binding guidelines affect the AI sector. We explain the existing legal frameworks and then briefly mention what is currently under deliberation.

Several existing laws, for instance on data protection, cybersecurity, intellectual property, competition, and consumer protection, affect AI systems:

• The Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, which entered into force in June 2023, grants data subjects the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing and requires controllers to implement safeguards enabling data subjects to obtain human intervention, express their point of view, and contest the decision. The General Application and Implementation Directive, which operationalises the Act and entered into effect in September 2025, further elaborates on these obligations. It introduces mandatory data protection impact assessments for high-risk processing activities, including profiling or automated decision-making. It further requires controllers and processors deploying AI (and other emerging technologies) to incorporate safeguards into the system design, test tools in low-risk environments before deployment, monitor systems after deployment, and discontinue tools where risks cannot be adequately mitigated. 

• The Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act, signed in February 2024. requires service providers to retain traffic data and subscriber information for two years. The Act applies to all public and private organisations, bringing AI developers and deployers that process subscriber data or handle electronic communications within its remit. It also reduces the incident reporting timeline to 72 hours.

• The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018, enforced by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, provides the basis for consumer and competition oversight of AI-enabled digital platforms.

• The Copyright Act of 2022 extends copyright protection to literary, musical, artistic, and audiovisual works, sound recordings, and broadcasts. It empowers rights holders to request service providers to remove or disable access to infringing content, while limiting the monetary liability of service providers that satisfy prescribed conditions. It also empowers the Nigerian Copyright Commission to block or restrict access to infringing websites. The Act may affect AI systems by applying copyright protections to the use, distribution, and availability of protected works in AI development and deployment. 

• The Patents and Designs Act governs patent protection in Nigeria. It has not been amended to address new digital technologies, such as the patentability of AI-generated inventions.

Beyond laws, binding cross-sectoral and sector-specific documents impact the AI ecosystem.

• The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)'s Internet Code of Practice will establish rules on the deployment of AI and emerging technologies, starting in August 2026². The Code will require Internet Access Service Providers to notify the NCC before deploying AI or other emerging tools affecting network management or customer engagement. It will also require providers to inform consumers where AI is used in complaint handling. The Code also contains general provisions on net neutrality, data breach notification, and blocking of child sexual abuse material that apply to AI alongside other services. The guidance notes for the Code, issued in February 2026, clarify AI pre-deployment notification requirements.

• The Central Bank of Nigeria’s Baseline Standards for Automated Anti-Money Laundering Solutions, adopted in June 2025, incorporate AI into its Anti-Money Laundering, Countering the Financing of Terrorism, and Countering the Financing of Proliferation framework. From March 2028, the Standards will require all regulated financial institutions, mobile money operators, and payment service providers to deploy automated systems covering customer due diligence, transaction monitoring, fraud detection, and regulatory reporting. The Standards also require independent annual validation of AI and machine learning models, including assessments of accuracy, performance drift, fairness, and bias. In February 2026, the Central Bank issued a report following an inquiry into innovation, inclusion, and integrity in the financial technology sector, proposing a Responsible AI in Finance workstream. 

Finally, a range of non-binding documents have an effect on AI providers. 

• The National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy, approved in November 2025, provides the first unified framework for intellectual property protection and commercialisation, covering digital technologies, including AI, as financial and economic assets. 

• The Federal Ministry of Health’s National Cancer Control Plan 2026–2030 designates AI as a core component under its seventh pillar, which covers research, innovation, and technology. 

• The Nigeria Data Protection Commission released a guide on “Privacy by Design in Early-Stage Innovation: How Data Protection Advances AI-Driven Digital Public Infrastructure in Nigeria” in November 2025. It documents the data protection impact assessment of nine early-stage AI innovators and recommends a regulatory sandbox for AI data governance. 

• The National Human Rights Commission established a dedicated unit to engage technology companies on AI-related human rights harms.

Currently, the National Assembly is considering bills that do not regulate AI directly but may affect the AI ecosystem:

• The National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill 2024 would introduce regulatory sandboxes to test emerging technologies and introduce obligations across various digital policy areas. The Bill passed its first reading in both chambers in July 2024. 

• Four proposals would regulate the data layer underlying the AI ecosystem. HB 2273, introduced in June 2025, proposes a dedicated institution to develop national digital infrastructure, governing data centres, broadband networks, and connectivity. HB 2436, introduced in July 2025, would require application developers to register with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission and conduct annual Data Protection Impact Assessments. SB 650, introduced in November 2024, would require entities, including AI operators processing Nigerian personal data, to maintain a fixed operational presence. Finally, SB 722, introduced in February 2025, would require Nigerian user data to be stored domestically, mandate a local Nigerian office for foreign data services companies, and impose a levy on foreign data companies earning above NGN 10 billion in Nigerian revenue.

• Further proposals would affect AI-enabled products and services in specific sectors. The Fintech Regulatory Commission (Establishment) Bill, 2025 (HB 2389), introduced in June 2025, seeks to establish a unified regulatory body for fintech activities. The Ride-Hailing and Smart Mobility Bill, 2025 (HB 2204), introduced in March 2025, may subject AI-powered dynamic pricing, route optimisation, and demand-forecasting systems to the licensing and compliance framework for digital mobility platforms. The Digital Marketing Regulation Bill, 2024 (HB 1435), introduced in May 2024, would designate large platforms as gatekeepers and impose obligations on third-party data processing for advertising and interoperability, potentially affecting AI-driven advertising systems. The Social Media Regulation Bill, 2025 (HB 2643), introduced in December 2025, would establish offences relating to hate speech, harmful content, incitement to violence, and false statements, which may impact AI-enabled content generation, recommendation, and moderation services. Similarly, the currently discussed Regulations to Strengthen the Protection of Children on Social Media and Other Digital Platforms would address AI-related risks to children. 

Nigeria participates in several African AI governance initiatives, primarily under the African Union:

• The African Union’s Continental AI Strategy, adopted in July 2024, provides a framework for AI governance, development, and capacity building. It focuses on human capital, innovation, and regulatory frameworks to support the use of AI for sustainable development and economic growth.

• The African Digital Compact, adopted in July 2024, establishes Africa’s collective framework for digital transformation with AI as one of its ten organising pillars. It was re-endorsed by African ICT and Communications Ministers in June 2026 and served as Africa’s collective position in the UN Global Digital Compact negotiations. 

• The Africa Declaration on AI, signed by delegates of the Global AI Summit on Africa in April 2025, commits to responsible national AI policies aligned with the AI Continental Strategy, data governance systems across sectors, and the creation of an Africa AI Council and an Africa AI Fund. 

• The African Union Peace and Security Council’s Communiqué on AI, adopted in April 2026, affirms Africa's sovereign right to harness AI for peace and development, calls for the development of AI systems in African languages, and suggests establishing an African Centre of Excellence on AI. 

• The African Union Development Agency’s White Paper on AI and the Future of Work in Africa, issued in June 2024, addresses generative AI’s transformative and disruptive potential and emphasises ethical AI governance and data sovereignty. 

• The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights adopted a Resolution in March 2025, mandating a Special Rapporteur to develop guidelines for member states to monitor technology companies on information integrity and the role of AI in fact-checking. 

Nigeria ratified the Digital Trade Protocol to the African Continental Free Trade Area in November 2025, following its adoption by the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government. The Protocol harmonises rules for cross-border digital trade. It requires parties to facilitate the adoption and regulation of emerging and advanced technologies and develop governance frameworks that ensure the ethical, trusted, safe, and responsible use. 

Finally, Nigeria participates in regional AI governance initiatives through the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). In December 2024, ECOWAS adopted the Digital Strategy 2024–2029, embedding AI as a cross-cutting theme. In January 2026, ECOWAS convened a Thematic Dialogue on Digital Governance and adopted a resolution to develop a Regional AI Governance Framework for West Africa that addresses algorithmic bias, labour displacement, and information disorder. In May 2025, West African parliamentarians adopted the Declaration on Digital Governance in West Africa at the West African Internet Governance Forum in Abuja, committing to harmonised data protection, ethical AI governance, and data sovereignty legislation across 12 areas. 

Beyond African initiatives, Nigeria participates in international initiatives at the UN, as part of the AI Summit events, and in bilateral agreements, among others. As a UN Member State, Nigeria is a party to the Pact for the Future and the Global Digital Compact, adopted in September 2024. The Compact promotes a balanced, inclusive, and risk-based approach to AI governance and provides for the establishment of an Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, a Global Dialogue on AI Governance, and the development of international AI standards. In August 2025, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution formally establishing the Scientific Panel and the Global Dialogue. In March 2024, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on safe, secure, and trustworthy AI systems aligned with the 2030 Agenda. In November 2024, the UN General Assembly First Committee adopted a resolution on the implications of AI in the military domain. Nigeria also has endorsed the UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of AI.

Nigeria signed the Bletchley Declaration on AI Safety in November 2023, alongside 27 other countries and the European Union, at the UK AI Safety Summit. Signatories committed to collaborative risk identification, safety research, and information sharing on frontier AI systems. Nigeria also joined a global partnership to advance the use of AI for development. At the AI Seoul Summit in May 2024, Nigeria and 27 other jurisdictions adopted a Declaration committing to cooperate on the governance of advanced AI risks. The Declaration includes a commitment to develop shared thresholds for severe AI risks, including the development of biological and chemical weapons and the evasion of human oversight, in collaboration with companies, civil society, and academia. At the Paris AI Action Summit in February 2025, Nigeria was among ten founding signatories of the Paris Charter on AI in the Public Interest and among the over 100 countries and international bodies adopting the Statement on Inclusive and Sustainable AI for People and the Planet.

Nigeria also participates in other international AI initiatives. It is a member of the Digital Cooperation Organisation, which has published an AI Adoption Playbook and announced a Generative AI Initiative. The Nigeria Data Protection Commission further endorsed a joint statement by 61 Data Protection Authorities on AI-generated imagery of identifiable individuals without consent.

At the bilateral level, Nigeria works with partners across continents on the topic of AI:

• In July 2024, Nigeria adopted a Joint Statement with the US Department of Commerce on harnessing AI, facilitating data flows, and empowering digital upskilling. The Statement sets out the parties' intention to cooperate on AI governance and adoption, the development of international standards, and the deployment of AI in sectors including agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and healthcare. 

• In February 2026, Nigeria and the European Commission opened negotiations for a Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement. The proposed Agreement would provide a framework for cooperation on digital transformation, among other areas. A Memorandum of Understanding on Digitalisation, Innovation, AI and Connectivity, signed with Denmark, includes investments of EUR 12 million. 

• In February 2024, Nigeria and the United Kingdom signed the Enhanced Trade and Investment Partnership, establishing a framework for cooperation on trade and investment, including AI governance and digital trade. 

• In November 2025, Nigeria and Sierra Leone signed the Digital Transformation Cooperation Framework, covering digital public infrastructure, cross-border digital trade, and AI, as well as the AI Research, Talent Development, and Model Localisation Partnership, the first bilateral instrument specifically naming AI model localisation as a cooperation objective.

This section examines how Nigeria's AI governance framework compares with those of eight African jurisdictions: Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Rwanda, and South Africa. These jurisdictions are subject to systematic monitoring by the Digital Policy Alert, using the same event-based methodology, taxonomy, and primary-source verification standards applied to Nigeria, with coverage extending back to 2020. The comparison serves as an overview of the Digital Policy Alert dataset on adopted strategies and policies, legislative proposals on AI, and institutions that support AI governance and development rather than as a definitive legal assessment of each jurisdiction.

AI governance across the nine jurisdictions is primarily based on national strategies and policy frameworks. Seven of the nine jurisdictions adopted at least one national AI strategy or policy. As noted above, Nigeria adopted its National AI Strategy 2025-2029 alongside the AI Transformation Roadmap 2025. Similarly, Egypt issued the National AI Governance Framework, complementing the National AI Strategy 2025-2030. Kenya adopted an implementation roadmap alongside its AI Strategy 2025-2030, while its AI and Emerging Technologies Policy remains in draft form and, as of July 2026, is under public consultation. Ethiopia adopted its National AI Policy in 2024, Ghana its National AI Strategy 2025-2035, Morocco the Morocco AI 2030 roadmap, and Rwanda its 2023 National AI Policy. Algeria's National AI Strategy 2024 remains at the drafting stage, while South Africa's National AI Policy was withdrawn following the identification of non-existent sources. 

Regarding legislative proposals to regulate AI, Nigeria, as noted above, has several AI-specific bills before the National Assembly. Among the other eight jurisdictions: 

• Ghana’s Emerging Technologies Bill is currently at the draft stage and not yet submitted to Parliament. The Bill would establish guiding principles for the development and use of emerging technologies, including requirements on transparency, human oversight and non-discrimination. It would also establish an AI Division within the Emerging Technologies Agency with the authority to set rules for the safe deployment of emerging technologies.

• Kenya’s AI Bill, introduced to the Senate in February 2026, would establish a regulatory framework governing AI providers, deployers, and users. It would require risk and human rights impact assessments, transparency and human oversight measures, record-keeping for AI systems, compliance with data protection requirements, and safeguards to ensure AI robustness, accuracy, and cybersecurity.

• In Morocco, the Law Regulating the Use of AI, introduced to the House of Representatives, would prohibit AI systems that pose unacceptable risks and establish design and testing requirements for AI providers. It would also require authorisation for the use of AI in critical infrastructure.

Nigeria established the National Centre for AI and Robotics (NCAIR), under NITDA, as the government’s designated body for AI research, capacity building, and governance. It also established the National AI Trust, comprising AI experts and government representatives, and announced plans to establish a High-Level AI Ethics Expert Group. In addition, legislative proposals before the National Assembly include provisions to establish dedicated AI authorities. Similarly, the other eight jurisdictions have established AI governance bodies, announced plans to create them, or introduced legislative proposals providing for dedicated AI institutions.

• Algeria’s Scientific Council for AI is a scientific advisory body created by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, Start-ups, and Micro-Enterprises. Its members include domestic and international experts from government, industry, and academia to provide recommendations. 

• Egypt’s National Council for AI, Quantum Computing and Emerging Technologies is an inter-institutional body operating under the Cabinet and chaired by the Minister of Communications and Information Technology. The Council is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the national AI strategy, identifying national AI priorities, and recommending technical, legal, and economic policy measures. The Centre for Responsible AI supports the responsible adoption of AI and contributes to the development of policies.

• The Ethiopian AI Institute serves as a hub for AI research and development, with authority to design AI research plans, formulate national AI policies, and support collaboration between public and private AI actors. 

• In Ghana, the Responsible AI Authority and Responsible AI Office were announced in the National AI Strategy 2025–2035, but are not yet operational as independent bodies. Additionally, the draft Emerging Technologies Bill proposes the establishment of an Emerging Technologies Agency with an AI Division.

• Kenya's AI Bill proposes the establishment of an Office of the AI Commissioner and an Advisory Committee on AI.

• In Morocco, a Bill currently before the House of Councillors proposes the establishment of a National Agency for AI Governance, and the Law Regulating the Use of AI proposes the establishment of a National Committee for the Use of AI. 

• Rwanda’s National AI Agency was approved by the Cabinet to promote AI development and adoption. The National AI Policy also announced a Presidential Council on AI to provide strategic advice to government and private sector stakeholders. 

• South Africa's withdrawn National AI Policy proposed the establishment of a National AI Commission, an AI Ethics Board, and an AI Regulatory Authority.

The governance of AI has become a priority on the regulatory agenda. Between January 2020 and July 2026, the Digital Policy Alert³recorded 2,017 policy measures concerning AI, comprising 3,562 regulatory developments. Regulatory activity increased following the release of ChatGPT in November 2022, with 257 regulatory developments recorded between January 2020 and November 2022, compared with 3,305 since its release.

The United States accounts for the largest share of this activity, with 314 policy measures at the federal level and a further 216 at the state level, followed by the European Union with 152 and China with 150 developments. By policy instrument, design and testing standards are the most common regulatory framework with 759 policy measures, followed by 449 related to data governance requirements, 194 on consumer protection measures, 169 content moderation rules, and 102 related to authorisation, registration and licensing requirements. Of the 2,017 policy measures, 980 have been adopted or are in force, 819 remain under deliberation or in consultation, 147 concern enforcement measures, 59 have been revoked or rejected, and 12 are in a grace period or under appeal or litigation. In terms of bindingness, 627 take the form of binding laws, and 338 take the form of binding orders. The remaining measures concern non-binding policies, enforcement activity, bilateral and international developments, and inquiries into regulatory approaches.

To provide global context, we focus on the European Union, the US, and China, as well as three Asian jurisdictions that have adopted comprehensive laws on AI.

The European Union adopted a comprehensive framework through the AI Act, which establishes a horizontal, risk-based approach across sectors. The framework is built around rights and includes transparency and redress mechanisms for users, human oversight of high-risk systems, and restrictions on specific systems. The Act entered into force in August 2024 and is being implemented on a phased timeline. The first provisions entered into force in February 2025, prohibiting AI systems that pose unacceptable risks, such as social scoring, biometric categorisation and emotion recognition in workplaces and educational institutions, among others. The transparency and copyright obligations for general-purpose AI models entered into force in August 2025. Obligations to inform users when they are interacting with AI, label and include machine-readable markings to facilitate detection of AI-generated content are applicable from August 2026. In July 2026, the Digital Omnibus on AI Regulation postponed the application of the rules for high-risk AI systems, which were previously scheduled to take effect from August 2026. The obligations will now apply from December 2027 for stand-alone high-risk AI systems and from 2 August 2028 for high-risk AI systems embedded in regulated products. The Omnibus further amended the AI Act to prohibit, from December 2026, AI systems designed to generate child sexual abuse material or non-consensual intimate content of identifiable persons without adequate technical safeguards. The amendments further clarify the division of supervisory responsibilities between the AI Office and national competent authorities.

China has not adopted a comprehensive AI law but has instead implemented a series of technology-specific regulations addressing distinct AI capabilities. The Cyberspace Administration of China adopted regulations on recommendation algorithms and deep synthesis services in 2022, generative AI services in 2023, face recognition in June 2025, and anthropomorphic AI interaction services in July 2026. These regulations establish obligations in areas such as content management, data protection, user rights, algorithm filing requirements and restrictions on specific AI systems. Under the algorithm filing system, providers must register specified AI systems with the relevant authorities before deployment. The government periodically publishes batches of approved algorithms. The Cyberspace Administration has adopted binding measures, including on the labelling of AI-generated content, while the National Information Security Standardisation Technical Committee issues technical standards. Regarding restrictions, the interim measures on anthropomorphic AI interaction services prohibit providing virtual relatives or virtual partner services to minors, generating content that induces emotional dependence or addiction, among others. 

The United States has not adopted a comprehensive AI law but has advanced AI policy primarily through executive orders, with the federal approach shifting across administrations. The previous administration emphasised public procurement, voluntary commitments, risk management, and export controls. In January 2025, the current administration replaced the Executive Order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy AI with the Executive Order on Removing Barriers to American Leadership in AI, prioritising innovation, competitiveness, and reducing regulatory barriers. The administration subsequently published an AI Action Plan that prioritises AI infrastructure development, the promotion of US AI exports to selected partners, and export controls on advanced AI semiconductor items to China. In June 2026, the administration issued the Executive Order on Promoting Advanced AI Innovation and Security, establishing a voluntary framework under which developers may submit advanced frontier AI models for pre-release government review and classified benchmarking. The administration also supported limiting state-level AI regulation through the "One Big Beautiful Bill", which included a ten-year moratorium on state AI legislation, which was not adopted by the Senate. In December 2025, the President issued an Executive Order proposing a national framework for AI, which directs the executive agencies to identify, review, and challenge state AI laws considered inconsistent with federal policy, and to develop federal approaches to AI reporting. State-level AI policymaking has nevertheless continued, with several states adopting AI-related legislation. 

In addition to the jurisdictions discussed above, several Asian economies have adopted dedicated AI laws: 

• Viet Nam’s AI Law, in effect since March 2026, adopts a risk-tiered regulatory framework, classifying AI systems into high, medium, and low-risk categories based on their impact on human rights, safety, and national security. Providers and deployers of high-risk systems must maintain risk management systems, ensure data governance, keep technical documentation, and enable human oversight and transparency, among other obligations. Viet Nam's approach is also focused on sovereignty, actively prioritising the development of domestic core technologies, Vietnamese-language large language models, and national AI infrastructure, with a dedicated National AI Development Fund.

• South Korea’s AI Basic Act combines provisions that address AI risks with measures that support AI development. The Act entered into force in January 2026 and establishes design requirements for AI systems, including safety and reliability standards, user rights, transparency, and explanation requirements, as well as oversight mechanisms. The Enforcement Decree of the AI Basic Act provides more details and implements these provisions. The Ministry of Science and ICT adopted guidelines to further clarify obligations, setting operational standards for transparency and explainability, providing technical and procedural guidance for safe AI deployment, establishing frameworks for assessing the impacts of AI systems, and defining obligations and criteria for classifying AI systems. 

• Japan’s Act on the Promotion of Research and Development and the Utilisation of AI-Related Technologies establishes a framework for development rather than imposing obligations on AI providers. The Act entered into force in June 2025 and establishes a governance framework for AI advancement, including provisions for research funding, ethical guidelines, and institutional oversight of AI applications. The Act establishes a statutory AI Strategy Headquarters within the Prime Minister's Office. 

Taken together, Nigeria's AI governance approach reflects a strategy-led, incremental model: a national strategy and roadmap set policy direction, while an evolving mix of general laws, sectoral rules, and non-binding guidance addresses AI in the absence of dedicated legislation. Several bills before the National Assembly could consolidate this landscape into a more formal regulatory framework, though their timeline and final scope remain uncertain. Nigeria's engagement with regional and international initiatives, through the African Union, ECOWAS, the UN, and a growing set of bilateral partnerships, positions it within the broader global shift toward AI governance documented in this report. As with the eight other African jurisdictions examined, institutional and legislative developments continue to evolve alongside AI strategy implementation, even as none of the nine jurisdictions has yet adopted a comprehensive AI law.