Nigeria is poised to become one of Africa’s first nations to enact comprehensive artificial intelligence legislation. The proposed National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill aims to regulate the rapidly growing digital market after years of limited oversight. It introduces a risk-based framework, requiring stringent impact assessments for AI used in high-stakes areas such as finance and public services. Regulators would gain new powers to audit algorithms, levy fines, and suspend non-compliant systems. Crucially, the bill also promotes innovation through supervised testing environments for startups. By establishing early guardrails for ethics and safety, Nigeria seeks to balance technological advancement with crucial consumer protections, potentially setting a continental precedent for responsible AI development.
Bloomberg
