The Nigerian Evidence Act is a law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, that regulates the admissibility of evidence in civil and criminal proceedings. The Act was first enacted in 2011 and has since then been the subject of many amendments. The latest amendment, the Nigerian Evidence Act, 2016 (which came into effect on 1 July 2016), was made to strengthen the existing laws of evidence in Nigeria, by bringing them in line with the requirements of modern evidence law, and to provide more effective and efficient legal processes in the country.

The new law, in particular, strengthens the position of the defendant in a criminal trial by giving him or her the right to a trial by jury in a court of competent jurisdiction in Nigeria, and by giving the Federal Government the power to make a law prohibiting the use of certain evidence in a criminal trial. It also strengthens the position of the plaintiff in a civil trial by giving him or her the right to demand the attendance of witnesses at the trial, and by giving the Federal Government the power to make laws prohibiting the use of certain evidence in a civil trial.