President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed the Presidential Executive Order on Virtual Assets Coordination, 2026, aimed at harmonising the regulation of virtual assets, strengthening oversight and promoting responsible innovation in Nigeria’s digital economy.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this on Friday in a statement shared on his X platform, saying the order takes immediate effect.
According to the statement, the Executive Order was issued pursuant to Section 5 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and is designed to address gaps created by fragmented regulation as virtual assets continue to cut across traditional classifications of currencies, money, commodities and securities.
The Presidency said the absence of coordinated oversight among relevant agencies had exposed the country to risks including money laundering, terrorism financing, cybersecurity threats, fraud and revenue losses.
It added that the new framework would protect citizens from fraudulent operators while creating an environment that supports legitimate digital asset innovation.
