Overview
The European Union Artificial Intelligence Act (“the EU AI Act” or “the Act”) entered into force on August 1, 2024. establishing the world’s first comprehensive legal framework for regulating artificial intelligence. Critically, the Act has extraterritorial reach: any developer whose AI system produces output used within the EU falls within its regulatory scope, regardless of the developer’s physical location.
Nigerian AI developers increasingly build products serving global users across fintech, edtech, health tech, and security, many of which directly target European markets or have users within the EU. For these developers, compliance with the EU AI Act is a commercial and legal imperative. This article examines the eight prohibited AI practices under Article 5, analyses their practical implications for Nigerian developers, and outlines a route toward compliance.
