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Tinubu to give expeditious assent this week
From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
Nigeria is on the verge of becoming the first country in Africa to establish a comprehensive legal framework for the digital economy and e-governance, as the National Assembly concludes work on the National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill 2025.
The legislation, which was jointly sponsored and processed by both chambers of the National Assembly, seeks to provide regulatory clarity for electronic transactions, mandate the digitisation of government services and create the legal backbone for Nigeria’s growing digital economy.
When signed into law, the Bill will formally anchor Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda on a solid legal foundation. It also sets out frameworks for artificial intelligence (AI) integration, national data exchange, digital infrastructure expansion and cross-sector collaboration between government and the private sector.
According to the Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, Shuaib Afolabi Salisu, who spoke during a one-day joint public hearing held in Abuja yesterday, the bill’s primary goal is to institutionalise electronic governance across ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).
“The objective of this Bill is to provide regulatory clarity for electronic transactions in the country,” he explained. “It also mandates all government agencies to digitise their operations and services. The law, when put in place, will serve as the backbone of the nation’s digital economy.”
Chairman of the House Committee on ICT, Adedeji Olajide, added that its passage would mark “a turning point in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey,” setting new standards for innovation and service delivery.
The proposed legislation received unanimous backing from key stakeholders including the National Communications Commission (NCC), Nigeria Communication Satellite (NICOMSAT), Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST), Galaxy Backbone and the Office of the Head of Service.
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Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, who spoke at the hearing, described the Bill as “historic” and confirmed that President Bola Tinubu would give it expeditious assent this week.
“This Bill is being awaited by President Bola Tinubu for assent this week, being one of the catalysts for the actualisation of the projected $1 trillion economy,” Tijani said.
He noted that the forthcoming law would be the first of its kind in Africa, underscoring Nigeria’s leadership role in shaping the continent’s digital future.
“This sector, which once contributed about 16 percent to our GDP, is now tracking at 19 percent. Under the President’s leadership, we are targeting a $1 trillion economy with the digital economy contributing 21 percent to GDP by 2027. This Bill will unlock the private sector’s potential to achieve that goal,” he said.
Tijani outlined the administration’s long-term plans for deep structural investment in the digital space, including the rollout of 90,000 kilometres of fibre-optic cable to connect every state and local government area, the deployment of 4,000 new communication towers to reach more than 20 million unconnected Nigerians and the establishment of a national data exchange system for secure information sharing among MDAs and with the private sector.
While noting that a national framework for artificial intelligence adoption to boost productivity and competitiveness was also in progress, he stated, “In strengthening this Bill, we are shaping the future of generations yet unborn.
“As the African proverb says, ‘Wise elders plant trees whose shade they will never sit under.’ The generation that liberalised our telecommunications sector in 1999 laid the foundation for today’s growth. Now, we take the next bold step, to expand our economy through technology and innovation.”
