Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, has recently emerged as the continental leader in Data Protection, surpassing other African countries in securing the data of over 200 million people.
This was disclosed by the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB) National Commissioner/CEO Dr. Vincent Olatunji, during the ongoing executive session at the Nigeria-Netherlands Economic Consultation in Abuja.
Announcing this milestone, the National Commissioner said, “The EU countries have gone ahead with Data Protection but Nigeria gain the lead in Africa with over 200 million people, we have put in place appropriate structures to create confidence and trust in whatever you are doing with us in terms of trade and commerce because one of the objectives of the NDPR is to increase the global competitiveness of businesses in the country. We have a combined earning of N5.5bn in the sector, which is contributing to our GDP”.
The NDPB commissioner further guarantee the safety of personal data of the Dutch citizens in Nigeria, noting that appropriate safeguards have been put in place through the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation and the establishment of the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau by the Federal Government.
Established by the federal government in February 2022, the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB) is the supervisory and regulatory authority for data protection in Nigeria, a function previously undertaken by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
The Bureau complements the work of statutory institutions of government with the common goal of safeguarding the privacy of natural persons.
It is also mandated to collaborate with stakeholders in achieving the objectives of the NDPR, which includes:
- Safeguarding the rights of natural persons to data privacy.
- Foster safe conduct of transactions involving the exchange of Personal Data.
- Prevent manipulation of Personal Data.
- Ensure that Nigerian businesses remain competitive in international trade through the safeguards afforded by a just and equitable legal regulatory framework on data protection and which is in tune with best practices.
Investors King understands that the NDPB is committed to making data privacy a cornerstone of a sustainable digital economy in Nigeria. It also has the vision to be a resilient world-class institution for the protection of data privacy.