Sections 11.1 (4) and 12.1 (4) of the Guidelines for Nigerian Content Development in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) require telecommunication companies and network service companies to host all subscriber and consumer data within the country in line with existing legislation.

Section 13.2 of the Guidelines for Nigerian Content Development in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) requires Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to ensure that all sovereign data is hosted locally on servers within Nigeria. The MDAs should also promote as mandatory the presence of system logs and other computer data logging technologies to aid in the effective troubleshooting and forensic investigation of events in Government systems.
Section 9.0 of the Cloud Computing Policy further stipulates that sensitive governmental and citizen data must be retained within national borders, either through internal frameworks operated by public institutions or via domestically based cloud service providers. This requirement applies specifically to data generated or managed by public sector entities.

Nigeria is a party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

Nigeria has a clear regime of copyright exceptions that follows the fair dealing model, which enables others to make the lawful use of copyrighted work. Section 6 of the Second Schedule of the Copyright Act lists the exceptions, which include research, private use, criticism or review or the reporting of current events subject to the condition that, if the use is public, it shall be accompanied by an acknowledgement of the title of the work and its authorship, except where the work is incidentally included in a broadcast.

It has been reported that intellectual property rights (IPR) enforcement agencies lack the necessary resources and inter-agency cooperation to improve enforcement. In addition, it is reported that pirate websites have kept local filmmakers suffocated in recent years by uploading popular titles to the Internet for download once such films hit theatres or debut on streams platforms.

Nigeria is not a signatory of the 1996 World Trade Organization (WTO) Information Technology Agreement (ITA) nor the 2015 expansion (ITA II).

In 2013, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) promulgated guidelines concerning Nigerian content in the information and communications technology sector, with subsequent amendments in 2019. These guidelines are applicable to both public sector entities and private enterprises. Section 10.4 (1-2) mandates that ministries and government agencies procure software exclusively from local and indigenous software development firms. Where local software development capacity is inadequate, a Nigerian company is required to undertake the procurement, installation, and support of the software.

In February 2018, Executive Order 5 introduced additional restrictions and obligations for public procurement in the fields of science, engineering, and technology. The order specifies that only when expertise is lacking domestically, procuring entities can prioritise foreign companies or firms that present verifiable plans for indigenous capacity development before awarding contracts. Furthermore, ministries, departments, and agencies are required to engage indigenous professionals in the planning, design, and execution of national security projects. Consideration may only be given to foreign professionals if the appropriate authority certifies that the necessary expertise is unavailable within Nigeria.

Under the Public Procurement Act, 2007 (Section 34-3), margins of preference apply to tenders under international competitive bidding. These preferences include a local content margin, which can reach up to 15%, depending on the project. Additionally, Nigeria grants a preference to majority Nigerian-owned companies if their bid is within 15% of the price offered by a majority foreign-owned company. Section 106 of the Public Procurement Regulations for Goods and Works (2007) further specifies that, when comparing bids from foreign and national contractors, procuring entities may grant a preference to domestic bidders for goods manufactured in Nigeria. The Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) periodically sets the margins of preference, which can be up to 15% for goods and 7.5% for works, based on the delivered price.

Under Executive Order No. 003 of 2017, the Federal Government of Nigeria established that all Nigerian ministries, departments, and agencies are obliged to grant preferential treatment to locals in the public procurement processes. The Executive Order specifies that 'Made in Nigeria' products are given preferential treatment in all public procurement processes concerning several goods and services, including information and communication technology (ICT). According to the Order, "at least 40% of the procurement expenditure on these items in all [federal ministries] shall be locally manufactured goods or from local service providers".

In 2013, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) promulgated guidelines on Nigerian content in the information and communications technology sector, with amendments introduced in 2019. These guidelines are applicable to both public sector entities and private enterprises. Section 9.4 (1) stipulates that ministries and government agencies must source and procure 40% of computer hardware and related devices exclusively from Original Design Manufacturers (ODMs) or Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) approved by NITDA.

Section 13.2 of the Guidelines for Nigerian Content Development in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) mandates that all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) ensure that sovereign data is hosted locally on servers within Nigeria. Additionally, MDAs are required to implement system logs and other computer data logging technologies to facilitate effective troubleshooting and forensic investigations within government systems.

It is reported that foreign companies may be subject to local content or other localisation requirement (e.g., partnership with a local partner firm or joining a consortium). Also, companies have expressed concerns about corruption and lack of transparency in procurement processes.