Artificial Intelligence is reshaping global business and governance. From facial recognition systems and chatbots to automated credit engines and predictive policing tools, AI is changing how information is processed and how decisions are made. In Nigeria, its growing use across fintech, telecommunications, surveillance, and e-commerce shows how quickly it is becoming embedded in daily operations.

AI refers broadly to technologies that simulate human intelligence to perform tasks that involve learning, reasoning, or problem-solving. These systems rely heavily on large volumes of personal data, which are collected, stored, and analysed in real time to produce accurate outcomes.

This raises an important regulatory question: Can AI systems deployed in Nigeria comply with the Nigerian Data Protection Act 2023? As AI expands across sectors, so does the urgency for clear compliance expectations, ethical safeguards, and proactive regulation. This article examines how Nigeria’s data privacy framework interacts with emerging AI use cases and assesses whether it is equipped to meet the challenges they present.

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