NDPC to revoke licences of underperforming data protection firms

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) says it will revoke the licences of data protection compliance organisations (DCPOs) that are underperforming.

Vincent Olatunji, the national commissioner of NDPC, spoke on Wednesday during a breakfast meeting organised by the commission for DCPOs in Lagos.

Olatunji said it is necessary for DCPOs to introspect and identify areas of poor performance.

He said 19 licences were revoked last year and the commission intends to take similar actions this year.

“They need to know that they have a key role to play in strengthening the ecosystem by registering data processors,” Olatunji said.

“What we have seen from the end of March till now in terms of registration is very low.

“The mantle is on them to drive advocacy by talking to their clients on the importance of data protection and why they need to register. It is necessary to increase the number of data controllers and processors.”

Olatunji said the commission regularly evaluates its 291 registered DCPOs.

He said their regulation is based on the quality of their work, adding that it is important to know whether their performance is enhancing data protection in the country.

Regarding achievements, the NDPC boss said the commission has started implementing the roadmap introduced last year.

According to Olatunji, the commission is also developing mechanisms to stimulate growth and create jobs.

He added that the government is establishing a national certification, which would enable the DCPOs to work anywhere.

The NDPC boss said due to the positive impact of the commission’s efforts in Nigeria, all African data protection authorities (DPAs) would be visiting the country.

In his remarks, Oyedokun Oyewole, president of the Institute of Information Management, said the data protection industry is still developing.

He said one of the challenges DCPOs face is the lack of adequate awareness, adding that many stakeholders in the ecosystem are yet to recognise the importance of enhancing data protection.

“The NDPC has been doing a lot to create awareness about data privacy, guidance to businesses and organisations on compliance requirements to foster a culture of responsible data handling across sectors,” Oyewole said.

“The commission also needs to intensify efforts on creating more awareness, so that citizens can also understand the importance of data privacy in our increasingly digitised world.”

Oyewole said the institute has been actively educating the public by organising an information literacy week and a digital transformation awareness campaign annually.