By Chinenye Anuforo
The national commissioner of the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB), Vincent Olatunji, has said, with the exponential rise in the processing of data online through satellite communications, appropriate mechanisms must be put in place to ensure security, effective protection and regulated data processing in line with legislations in Nigeria.
The national commissioner, in making the assertion during a working visit to the managing director of the Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT), Dr. Abimbola Alale, and her management team at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja, noted that best practices that meet global standards in the protection of data must be adopted in satellite communications.
Olatunji said, with the redesignation of the supervisory ministry to include digital economy and with the launch of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), laws must be put in place to guarantee protection of data.
“The NDEPS is the road map for the digitization of the country and appropriate laws and regulations must be put in place to ensure protection of data, in line with global standards, bearing in mind local and international regulations to safeguard data of citizens,” he said.
He commended the minister of communication and digital economy, Mr. Isa Ali Pantami, for the giant stride he took in the issuance of the Nigeria Data Protection Regulations (NDPR). Olatunji stating that the industry is now worth over N4 billion, with about 8,000 people gainfully employed.
He added that the role of the bureau was to ensure that data of Nigerians wherever they were was adequately protected and ensure that all organizations in Nigeria complied with the provisions of the NDPR.
Olatunji further explained that the bureau was established to ensure the implementation of the NDPR to safeguard the rights, freedom and privacy of citizens as well as ensure that the country had a principal legislation in that regard.
The NDPB boss, however, noted that the bureau was not out for sanctions but rather to encourage organizations to comply with the provisions of the NDPR and make it a culture by default.
“We are out to create awareness on data protection for all data processors and data controllers to adopt and see as a norm so that the global community will see us as being serious when it comes to issue of data privacy and protection,” he averred.
On the importance of the awareness being created by the bureau, he emphasized that data subjects need to know their rights in terms of consent, security, storage and cross-border transfer of data while at the same time enlightening data controllers on their obligations to data subjects.
“It is highly important that those in charge of data processing in organizations are sound enough to know what to do, how to do and the kind of measures they need to put in place in terms of organizational and technical measures to ensure the safety of data of their subjects”, he mentioned.
Dr. Alale in her remark applauded the National Commissioner and his team for their proactive initiatives in ensuring the security of data in the country.
Affirming her support to the Bureau, Alale stated that NIGCOMSAT is already working on their data privacy audit report for the year which will be filed with the Bureau and promised to share the guidelines with their partners who in turn can be independently monitored by the Bureau.
“As we push forward the digital agenda of Nigeria, we should support one another and we at NIGCOMSAT pledge our support to you”, she said.