The Federal Government has initiated the drafting of a comprehensive executive bill aimed at overhauling the national legal framework to effectively combat sophisticated cyber threats and artificial intelligence risks. The proposed legislation seeks to reinforce national security, safeguard critical financial infrastructure, and protect personal dignity against evolving digital exploits.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, disclosed the legislative movement on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, during a stakeholder engagement on cyber resilience. Fagbemi stated that rapid technological advances have transformed cybercrime beyond traditional network breaches into a complex menace capable of undermining public trust and sovereign stability.
Addressing the limitations of existing legal instruments, the Justice Minister emphasized that bad actors now leverage artificial intelligence and social engineering to target human vulnerability directly rather than relying solely on automated system intrusions. “Today hackers focus more on hacking people than systems, because it is easier to hack people to get what you want than hacking the system itself,” Fagbemi noted, stressing the urgent necessity for adaptable statutory frameworks that match contemporary threat vectors.
The Chief Law Officer assured the public that while the forthcoming bill will grant law enforcement bodies expanded enforcement capabilities, strict oversight provisions will prevent potential abuses of power. “Security must protect liberty, not become an excuse to undermine it,” Fagbemi declared, maintaining that the upcoming executive draft balances robust national cyber defense with the unconditional preservation of fundamental constitutional rights.
Collaborative regulatory efforts are concurrently underway across key federal agencies, including the National Information Technology Development Agency and the Nigerian Communications Commission, to establish baseline security standards, domain protection protocols, and cloud computing oversight. The executive bill is expected to undergo final inter-ministerial harmonization before its formal transmission to the National Assembly for legislative enactment.
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