Nigeria has raked in over N400 million from data privacy enforcement efforts and unveiled plans to establish an indigenous certification body for data protection professionals.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, emphasized the presidential directive to leverage technology to transform public services. The aim of the digitalization drive is to streamline processes, enhance accessibility, and improve efficiency for citizens.
During the National Privacy Week event, the National Commissioner/CEO of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr. Vincent Olatunji, reported over 1,000 data privacy complaints received. The commission’s enforcement actions in resolved cases resulted in N400 million in revenue for the government.
To comply with government directives on reducing reliance on foreign exchange and foster local expertise, the NDPC is establishing an indigenous certification body for data protection officers (DPOs). This initiative aims to create a globally competitive pool of DPOs without straining the country’s foreign exchange reserves.
The Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, Stanley Adedeji, reaffirmed the National Assembly’s commitment to upholding data privacy in Nigeria. He stressed the importance of complying with the Data Privacy law and suggested automating data collection processes in government interactions.
Dr. Olatunji also announced Nigeria’s membership in the Global Privacy Assembly, a group of over 130 countries collaborating on data protection issues.
