Protecting Nigerians’ online data remains our top priority, says NDPC CEO

Vincent Olatunji, national commissioner and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), says the agency is intensifying its efforts to safeguard Nigerians’ online data and educate them.

Olatunji spoke on Tuesday during the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Enioluwa Adeoluwa, a renowned social media influencer in Abuja.

He said the MoU is part of its effort to promote data protection and privacy awareness in Nigeria.

The commissioner said with over 40 million Nigerians using social media daily, data protection and privacy have become critical concerns.

Olatunji also said since the enactment of the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA), in 2022, the commission had deployed diverse strategies to educate the general public, but more needed to be done.

“The Nigerian government is actively addressing this issue to ensure that Nigerians are protected. More importantly, we know that about 40 million Nigerians go online every day, which is significant. That is huge,” the commissioner said.

“For this reason, we must implement adequate safety measures to safeguard the data within our country.

“And Nigerians must be aware of their rights under Nigeria’s Data Protection Laws and understand the measures they need to implement to protect their data

“There is a clarion call globally for the protection of rights, privacy and countries are deploying emerging technologies to protect the rights of their citizens.

“Here in Nigeria, we need to protect our people because the moment you have an identity, your name, bank account, you are recognised.

“We need to reach the millions of Nigerians, even those in the rural communities, to ensure that they know their rights, and put in the appropriate measures to ensure that they give out their information in the right way.

“We need to promote what is going on in government, because there are a lot of misconceptions about the activities of government in Nigeria.”

Olatunji added that the MoU would be evaluated at the expiration of the six months to determine what has been achieved and also restrategise.

On his part, Adeoluwa said his motivation for collaborating with the commission is driven by a desire to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s development.

Adeoluwa also urged more young people to participate in nation-building to ensure that Nigeria can become great again.