Original Framework for Regulating Artificial Intelligence-Generated Contracts in Nigerian Private Law

Artificial intelligence systems are increasingly generating and executing contracts without direct human oversight in Nigerian commercial environments, including in banking, insurance, procurement, and e-commerce, creating fundamental private law questions about formation, validity, attribution, and liability that no existing Nigerian legal framework addresses. This study develops an original framework for regulating artificial intelligence-generated contracts in Nigerian private law, advancing a comprehensive theoretical and normative analysis that addresses the doctrinal gaps created by autonomous contracting systems. Using a forward-looking theoretical methodology that combines technology law scholarship, contract theory, comparative analysis of AI contract regulation in the European Union, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, and empirical research with 60 technology lawyers, fintech companies, and academic specialists in Lagos and Abuja, the research evaluates whether existing Nigerian contract law doctrines can accommodate AI-generated agreements or whether entirely new legal categories are required. The study advances an original AI Contracts Governance Framework (ACGF) as its theoretical contribution, establishing principles for attribution of contractual intent to AI systems, liability allocation between deployers and users of AI contracting systems, and enforceability standards for AI-generated terms. The ACGF is grounded in Nigerian constitutional and statutory law while incorporating internationally recognised AI governance principles. Findings reveal that existing Nigerian law is fundamentally unequipped for AI-generated contracting and that urgent regulatory intervention is required. Recommendations include an AI Contracts Act, mandatory AI disclosure in contract formation, liability standards for AI deployers, and a National AI Legal Framework. Keywords: artificial intelligence, AI contracts, contract formation, technology law, Nigerian private law