Electronic signatures in Nigeria

What the law says

Section 93(2) of the Evidence Act 2011 says that where a rule of evidence requires a signature, or provides for consequences if a document is not signed, an electronic signature satisfies that rule or avoids those consequences. Under section 93(3), an electronic signature may be proved in any manner, including by showing that a procedure existed under which a person had to execute a symbol or security procedure, in order to proceed with a transaction, to verify that an electronic record is theirs.

The Evidence (Amendment) Act 2023 extended section 93 to digital signatures and added rules on electronic records: when a writing requirement is met electronically, when a signature is reliable, and secure digital signatures (sections 84A to 84D). Except for a secure digital signature, the fact that a digital signature is the person's own must be proved. Section 84 sets the conditions for admitting a document produced by a computer.

Section 17(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015 states that an electronic signature in respect of purchases of goods and any other transactions is binding, and that where its genuineness is in question, the burden of proving that it does not belong to the purported originator is on the person who contests it.

In June 2026 a senator said that a National Digital Economy and E-Government Bill, which would give electronic records and digital signatures the same legal validity as paper documents, was in its final legislative stage. Until a law like that is in force, the rules above apply.

The laws that apply

• Evidence Act 2011: section 93 (proof of signatures, including electronic ones) and section 84 (documents produced by a computer).
• Evidence (Amendment) Act 2023: digital signatures in section 93, and new sections 84A to 84D on electronic records, reliable and secure signatures.
• Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015: section 17 (electronic signatures binding, and the documents excluded), amended by the Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024.

Where an electronic signature is not enough

Section 17(2) of the Cybercrimes Act 2015 excludes these from the transactions that are valid by electronic signature:

• The creation and execution of wills, codicils and other testamentary documents
• Death certificates and birth certificates
• Family law matters such as marriage, divorce and adoption
• Court orders, notices and official court documents such as affidavits, pleadings and motions
• The cancellation or termination of utility services
• Instruments that must accompany the transport or handling of dangerous materials
• Documents ordering the withdrawal of drugs, chemicals or other materials that are fake, dangerous or expired

The Cybercrimes (Amendment) Act 2024 amended section 17, including wording on documents "legally verified in Certified True Copies". Check the current text before relying on an electronic signature for any of the documents above.

Land follows its own rules. Under section 22 of the Land Use Act, the holder of a statutory right of occupancy needs the Governor's consent to assign, mortgage, transfer possession of or sublease it, and section 26 makes a transaction without it void. An electronic signature does not replace that consent.

What PQC Imza is, and what it is not

In Nigeria, a PQC Imza signature is an electronic signature: it identifies the signer, from the chip in their passport or ID card, and is tied to the exact file they signed. Section 93(3) of the Evidence Act lets it be proved in any manner, and each signature comes with a record of the procedure behind it: how the signer was identified, the key on their phone that signed, and a public page where the document can be checked. It is not a digital signature certificate from a certification authority.

PQC Imza is an electronic signature service. Each signature is made on the signer's phone with ML-DSA, the post-quantum signature standard NIST published in 2024 (FIPS 204), and is bound to the exact file that was signed. Signers verify their identity in the app by reading the chip in their passport or ID card, and every signature records how its signer was identified.

It is not a qualified, certified or government-accredited digital signature, and PQC Imza is not a licensed or accredited certification authority in any country. Where a law asks for that kind of signature, or for a handwritten signature, a notary or registration, use what the law asks for.