Nigeria Country Profile - Legal Frameworks

1. Domestic Legislation

• Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Act, 2004 (EFCC Act, 2004);
• Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act, 2000 (ICPC Act, 2000);
• Code of Conduct Act, 1989;
• Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999;
• Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004;
• Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006.

2. Bilateral Treaties

• Law Enforcement Cooperation Agreement with the United States of America, 2001; and
• Nigeria/South Africa Bilateral Treaty on criminal matters, 2001.

3. Regional Treaties

• ECOWAS Treaty on Exchange of Information on Criminal Matters; and
• African Convention on Prevention and Combating Corruption.

4. International Treaties

• UNCAC: Nigeria signed in 2003 and ratified in 2004;
• OECD: Anti-Bribery Convention (Nigeria, not a signatory);
• Scheme relating to mutual assistance In criminal matters within the Commonwealth (including amendments made by Law Ministers in April 1990, November 2002 and October 2005);
• The London Scheme for Extradition within the Commonwealth (incorporating the amendments agreed at Kingstown in November 2002);
• United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (signed December 2000, ratified June 2001).  This Convention requires member states to criminalize participation in an organised criminal group and the laundering of the proceeds of crime, to criminalise corruption and to adopt measures to combat it, to freeze, confiscate and forfeit assets, to extradite offenders, to render mutual assistance in transnational criminal matters and to foster international cooperation in law enforcement.