In a legal environment, signature is commonly the means of authenticating
a document. Before now, what was the commonest form of signature was a
handwritten signature of the signer indicating his ‘acceptance’ or ‘consent’
to a legally binding commitment such as contractual terms or payment. With
the advent of computers, this form of signature has changed, what is now
prevalent is an electronic signature authenticating an electronic document.
Electronic signatures extend the function of handwritten signatures to
electronic documents, providing a way for two parties to conduct business
confidently in an electronic environment.
In this article, I have explored the meaning, forms, functions and legal
validity of electronic signature and discussed the legal framework on
electronic signature particularly in the context of Nigeria.