INTRODUCTION

The Nigerian President recently assented to the amendment of the Cybercrime Act titled Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, ETC) (AMENDMENT) Act 2024. In addition to that, the Central Bank of Nigeria, on the 6th of May 2024, released a circular on Cybersecurity titled Implementation Guidance on the Collection and Remittance of the National Cybersecurity Levy, which was made in furtherance to the amended Cybercrimes Act. This has made it necessary to undertake a careful perusal of the amended sections of the Act.  

According to the object of the Act, the amendment aims to alter the provisions of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, No. 17, 2015 to insert some consequential words that were inadvertently omitted in the Act. To this end, our review will assess the amended sections and their impact on Nigerians’ cyberspace activities. 

Our review will also consider the CBN circular on Cybersecurity in line with the amendment of the Cybercrimes Act identifying the reasons relied on by CBN to issue the directive. We shall also identify the propriety of the act of CBN in furtherance of the provision of the Act.

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