In 1999, he graduated from the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration and in 2004 from the Saint Petersburg State University.

[4] In December 2022, during the charity event at the State Duma, where participants were supposed to fulfill a child's New Year's wish written on a card they select from a tree, Nilov made a comment regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

A video of the event showed Nilov saying: "The boy Vova from Kiev dreams of rockets.

His comment was met with criticism, and Artem Metelev, the chairman of the State Duma Committee on Youth Policy, was seen covering his face with his hand in response.

[5] In April 2023, Nilov proposed a "military tax" of 2-3% on individuals to support the Russian army in the conflict with Ukraine.