Assessing Legal Frameworks and Foreign Influence of Cybersecurity and State Sovereignty in Selected West Africa Countries

This study examined how cybersecurity governance shaped state sovereignty in Nigeria and Kenya. Despite rapid digitalisation, enforcement gaps and reliance on foreign technologies threatened to erode autonomous control. Research questions were raised to investigate how the two countries’ frameworks reinforced or challenged sovereignty, what foreign involvement entailed, and how such participation affected autonomy. The scope covered 2010–2020 and focused on Nigeria and Kenya. The theoretical framework drew on realism and game theory. The legal framework explored comprised Nigeria’s Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention) Act 2015 and Kenya’s Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act 2018, alongside Kenya’s Data Protection Act 2019 and Nigeria’s National Cybersecurity Policy and Strategy 2021. A qualitative comparative case study design was adopted. Secondary data from legislative texts, policy strategies, institutional reports, and reputable publications were thematically analysed. Findings indicated that Nigeria’s centralised, control-oriented approach reinforced sovereignty but risked executive overreach, whereas Kenya’s more decentralised, rights-based model strengthened legitimacy yet slowed enforcement during high-threat periods. Capacity gaps persisted, low policy adoption in Nigeria and funding delays in Kenya, while foreign partnerships enhanced capability but increased technological dependence. The study concluded that sustainable cyber sovereignty required targeted legal reform, stronger institutional adoption, and reduced reliance on proprietary foreign systems. It recommended capacity-building, technology-transfer provisions in partnerships, and regionally co-ordinated measures to bolster resilience without compromising national control.