CYBERCRIMES (PROHIBITION, PREVENTION, ETC.) ACT, 2015
Act · Security
Policy date: 2026-03-04
An Act prohibits cybercrimes like hacking and online harassment, establishing systems for investigation and prosecution. It targets individuals, corporations, and internet service providers to regulate online behavior. This protects critical national infrastructure from digital threats.
What Is This Policy?
This law makes cybercrimes like internet fraud, hacking, identity theft, and online harassment punishable offences in Nigeria, and sets up systems to investigate and prosecute these crimes.
Who Does It Target?
It targets individuals, corporations, ISPs, cybercafés, and government institutions.
What Does It Aim to Achieve?
Its goal is to regulate online behavior, protect critical infrastructure, and empower law enforcement to combat cybercrime.
Key Features
Unified Legal Framework: Provides a comprehensive structure for prohibiting, preventing, detecting, prosecuting, and punishing cybercrimes in Nigeria. Protection of Critical National Information Infrastructure: Certain computer systems/networks can be designated as “critical infrastructure.” includes audits, inspections, and penalties for attacks on these systems. well defined cybercrime offenses
Current Status & Implementation
In force. The Act was signed into law in 2015 and is actively enforced by law enforcement agencies, with the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 further strengthening provisions on cyberbullying and online harassment.
Legal Framework
The Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015 is the primary legislation on cybercrime in Nigeria. It operates alongside the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, the National Information Technology Development Agency Act 2007, the Evidence Act 2011 (electronic evidence), and the Data Protection Act 2023. Nigeria's obligations under the African Union Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection and the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime inform the Act's international cooperation provisions.