An Original Theoretical Framework for the Regulation of Artificial Intelligence in Nigerian Business Law

Artificial intelligence applications in Nigerian financial services, healthcare, employment, and public administration raise profound business law questions regarding liability attribution, algorithmic accountability, data rights, and regulatory jurisdiction that existing Nigerian legal frameworks are not equipped to address systematically. This study makes an original contribution by developing an Artificial Intelligence Regulatory Framework for Nigerian Business Law (AIRF-NBL), providing a theoretically coherent and practically applicable model for AI governance that addresses the specific institutional, developmental, and rights contexts of Nigeria. The AIRF-NBL is developed through systematic comparative analysis of AI regulatory frameworks in the European Union, United Kingdom, United States, and Kenya, combined with original constitutional analysis of how existing Nigerian law accommodates or resists AI regulatory requirements, and primary research including structured interviews with 30 AI practitioners, technology lawyers, regulatory officials, and consumer advocates in Lagos and Abuja. Original contributions include an original AI Risk Classification System adapted for Nigerian technological deployment patterns, a Constitutional AI Accountability Doctrine derived from Nigerian fundamental rights provisions applicable to automated decision-making, and a normative model for a Nigerian Artificial Intelligence Governance Act that addresses algorithmic transparency, high-risk application regulation, data protection integration, and liability for AI-caused harm. The study constitutes an original and foundational contribution to AI law scholarship in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa, providing the first comprehensive theoretical framework for AI business law governance in the region.

Keywords: artificial intelligence regulation, AI governance, business law, algorithmic accountability, Nigeria