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NDPC calls for registration to ensure data protection – FRCN HQ
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy Dr Dr ‘Bosun Tijani
The Nigeria Data Protection Commission NDPC has called on all data controllers and data processors in the country to register with the commission as provided in the act establishing the NDPC to ensure the protection of Nigerians using data.
The National Commissioner and CEO of the NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji made the call in Abuja at a media briefing on the 2024 Global Data Privacy Day.
Dr Olatunji said the registration was important to ensure that web barons and criminal exploiters of personal data do not make Nigeria a haven.
Dr Olatunji explained that no organization in the public and the private sector would be allowed to treat Nigerians as 2nd class citizens when it comes to respect for the data privacy of citizens.
Dr Olatunji affirmed non-compliance under the Nigeria data Protection Act would be treated as a breach under the law and would attract sanction.
According to Dr Olatunji ‘’we shall commence massive awareness for all data controllers and processors to register with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission. This is a major requirement under section 5 (d) of the Nigeria data Protection Act and non-compliance will be treated as a breach under the law’’.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy Dr Dr ‘Bosun Tijani underscore the need for Nigerians to take the issue of data privacy and protection seriously.
The Global Data Privacy Day was established to create awareness of the rights of data subjects and the need for lawful use of personal data and protection.
The 2024 Data Privacy Day lends itself as a historic opportunity to reflect on the collective task of protecting the rights of Nigerians and securing the interest of the nation in the restless theatre of the 4th Industrial Revolution.
‘’In Nigeria, the right to privacy is not alien to our own legal system. It is enshrined in section 37 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. For ease of reference, it says ‘The privacy of citizens, their homes, correspondence, telephone conversations and telegraphic communications is hereby guaranteed and protected”, he said
To this end, in 2019, the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation was issued. In order to move closer to national adequacy which is a condition precedent to cross-border data transfers, the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau was established on the 4th of February 2022’’.
Writing by Daniel Adejo; Editing by Jennifer Ogor