…As FG Launches Data Protection Virtual Academy
The Federal Government disclosed on Tuesday current efforts to digitalize the nation’s economy were yielding desired results as the country’s data privacy sector generated over $10 million and the ecosystem created about 23,000 jobs within the last three years.
The National Commissioner of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr. Vincent Olatunji, gave this hint at the 8th edition of the Network of African Data Protection Authorities (NADPA) conference held in Abuja.
The industry expert linked the achievements to a strategic roadmap developed by the commission immediately after the enactment of the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023, pointing out the roadmap aligned with national policy frameworks and the five pillars of the Federal Ministry of Communications blueprint.
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The commissioner said: “Our approach has led to the registration of 267 data protection compliance organisations. To a large extent, this has actually driven the level of compliance in terms of registration of data processors and data filing audits in Nigeria, and the feat we have achieved is unprecedented in Africa.”
According to him over 40,000 data controllers and processors had been registered and more than 5,000 compliance assessments and over 220 investigations carried out within the period.
Olatunji disclosed that over $1.2 million was generated within two years from registration fees, audit fees, and compliance fees paid by data controllers even as he announced the establishment of a local certification process aimed at producing globally competitive professionals in the data privacy space.
He said that the first course started in January and that the commission was able to train 500 data protection officers and that the result showed that out of 500 trainees, 400 passed the assessment examination
In his keynote address at the forum, the Vice President, Kashim Shettima, said the conference was a demonstration of Nigeria’s progressive data protection framework.
Represented by Sen. Ibrahim Hadejia, the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Shettima emphasized the importance of secure data sharing to Africa’s economic development, noting that data is not just a digital resource but a human story told in numbers, which serve as a tool to build trust in national economies.
The Vice President said: “As the Africa continent expands the scale of its African exchange, our ability to share data securely and lawfully will define our capacity to thrive.
“That is why forums like this are not only welcome but essential as they offer us the chance to cross-pollinate ideas, to nurture human capital, and to strengthen mechanisms for mutual legal assistance.
“They allow us to create an African consensus on data governance that respects our people and reflects our values”, he added.
Shettima charged the delegates and participants at the conference to avail the opportunity provided to adopt the right strategies for Africa’s data privacy enhancement.
At the event, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, launched the Nigeria Virtual Privacy Academy as part of government’s initiative towards harnessing the benefits of the nation’s fast-evolving digital economy.
Tijani explained that the academy, the first of its kind in Africa, was established to provide virtual training in data protection and privacy in the public and private sectors.
He expatiated: “Recognising the opportunity across our continent, we have also set up a digital trade desk, a one-stop platform to promote Nigeria’s need to export, while unlocking global market opportunities for tech-enabled businesses.
“To fully harness the benefits of this and other initiatives, we see data as the backbone and digital protection as the shield.
“As we digitise government services, open up digital trade corridors, and advance the need for digital identity on the platform, we must ensure that our value chains are secure, fair, and transparent.
“To this end permit me to launch Data Protection Virtual Academy which offers every Nigerian, from civil servants to private sector employees, to young job seekers, access to practical training on data protection principles and easy cyber identity”, Tijani stressed.
