Encryption Law by Country
Where strong encryption is a right, restricted, or compelled. National law and policy, mirrored per country.
Source: Global Partners Digital, World Map of Encryption, updated 2026-07-02. Full data at www.gp-digital.org/world-map-of-encryption
Encryption Law by Country (196)
General right to encryption
No known legislation or policies.
Mandatory minimum or maximum encryption strength
No known legislation or policies.
Licensing/registration requirements
No known legislation or policies.
Import/export controls
No known legislation or policies.
Other restrictions
No known legislation or policies.
Obligations on individuals to assist authorities
Section 45 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2015 allow a law enforcement officer, after obtaining a warrant from a judge, to “use any technology to decode or decrypt any coded or encrypted data contained in a computer into readable text or comprehensible format”. While there is no requirement in the Act for individuals to assist by providing a key or otherwise decrypting any data, section 46 provides that wilfully obstructing any law enforcement officer in the exercise of any powers conferred by the Act or failing to comply with any lawful inquiry or requests made by any law enforcement agency in accordance with provisions of the Act is a criminal offence, punishable by imprisonment for up to two years and/or a fine of up to NGN 500,000. This could be interpreted as including a request to assist in the decryption of data. A copy of the law can be found here .
Obligations on providers to assist authorities
Section 70 and 147 of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003, enable the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to make regulations which set out requirements on those who are licenced to operate communications system and provide communications services relating. These include requirements to implement the capability to allow authorised interception of communications. A copy of the law can be found here . Under these provisions, the NCC has made the Lawful Interception of Communications Regulations, 2019. The interception of communications is prohibited unless the Regulations or other legislation provide otherwise. Regulation 7 allows for a judge to make a warrant authorising or requiring a licensee to (a) intercept any communication as described in the warrant; (b) disclose, in such a manner as may be described in the warrant of such intercepted communication; or (c) assist foreign authorities in accordance with an international mutual assistance agreement. Regulation 7 also provides that a judge may only issue a warrant where: (i) there is no other lawful means of investigating the matter for which the warrant is required, (ii) where it is necessary it is in the interest of the national security, for the purpose of preventing or investigating a crime, for the purpose of protecting and safeguarding the economic wellbeing of Nigerians, in the interest of public emergency or safety, or to give effect to any international mutual assistance agreements, which Nigeria is a party; and (iii) such information can only be obtained by lawfully intercepting such Communication as specified in the warrant. Regulation 8 provides that the interception of communications is also lawful where (a) one of the parties to the communication has consented to the interception; (b) it is done by a person who is a party to the communication, and has sufficient reason to believe that there is a threat to human life and safety; and (c) in the ordinary course of business, it is required to record or monitor such communication. Under Regulation 9, where a communication intercepted is an encrypted or protected communication within the possession of the licensee, the licensee shall provide relevant security agencies with the key, code or access to the protected or encrypted communication. Where the key or code is in the possession of another person, the relevant security agency must request that person to disclose it. Instead of providing a key or code, a licensee or person may disclose any encrypted or protected communication in an intelligible form. Failure to comply with a requirement is a criminal offence punishable by a fine of up to NGN 5,000,000.00, and where the offence continues, an additional daily default penalty of NGN 500,000.00. A licensee may also have its licence revoked. A copy of the Regulations can be found here .
Assessment Text Area
In Nigeria, the law sets out the conditions for the interception of encrypted communications including the powers to require licensees to provide relevant security agencies with the key, code or access to the protected or encrypted communication. Wilfully obstructing any law enforcement officer in the exercise of any powers conferred by the law or failing to comply with any lawful inquiry or requests made by any law enforcement agency is a criminal offence, punishable by imprisonment and/or a fine. This could be interpreted as including a request to assist in the decryption of data.
Murphy's Law