Samvel Nikoyan was born on February 13, 1958 in the village of Sarnaghbyur in the Ani region (now Shirak marz).

In 1982 he graduated from K. Marx Yerevan Polytechnic Institute, in 1987 – Armenian branch of Marxism-Leninism University adjunct to USSR Central Committee. He is engineer-mechanic. He was awarded Andranik Ozanian medal of the Ministry of Defense (2005), and commemorative of RA Prime Minister (2006).

1982-1990 he worked as an engineer-constructor, and later as a senior engineer, head of division, deputy head of production unit and head of production unit in the Yerevan Hydro Apparatus Plant. In 1995 he was deputy chief engineer in the Yerevan Experimental Machinery Plant. 1998-2003 he was head of division in the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Armenia. 1998-2003 he was deputy director of Haymamul (Armenian Media) CJSC. He was involved in production of ammunition and their delivery during the years of Artsakh freedom fighting He was a member of National United Party (NUP) acting underground in the USSR, later member of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA). He is a member of RPA board.

2003-2007 he was a deputy in the NA (proportional system, RPA.). He was a member of the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations. He was a member of Ad-Hoc Committee Studying the Effectiveness of the Use of Loans, Credits, Grants and Humanitarian Aid Received from Foreign States and International Organizations. He was a member of the Armenian delegation of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly.

On May 12, 2007 he was elected a deputy of the National Assembly by the proportional system from the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA). He was a member of the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations. He was a member of NA Ad-Hoc Counting Committee. He is Chairman of Ad-hoc Committee on the Events Occurred on 1-2 March 2008 in Yerevan and Their Reasons of the National Assembly. He is Head of RA NA delegation in Inter-Parliamentary Union. He is Secretary of RPA faction. He is a member of RPA board.

On May 18, 2009 he was elected Vice President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia.

He is married, and he has three children.