From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
Nigeria has made a significant stride in the global data race with the assent to Nigeria Data Protection Act by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The data protection bill, which had passed the third reading on the Senate floor on May 3, 2023, and was waiting for the president’s approval, was signed by Tinubu on Monday.
The Nigeria Data Protection Commission’s (NDPC), National Commissioner, Dr Vincent Olatunji, applauded the President for renewing the hope of over 200 million Nigerians in the advancement of Privacy rights and other fundamental freedoms both in cyberspace and in analogue transactions.
Olatunji, in a statement signed by the NDPC, Head, Legal Enforcement and Regulations, Babatunde Bamigboye, expressed high optimism on the prospects of Nigeria’s Digital Economy following the emerging regulatory dispensation.
According to the Statement, “The Nigeria Data Protection Bureau, pursuant to the express provisions of the new act, has transmuted into a full-fledged Commission and it is mandated to among others: regulate the deployment of technological and organisational measures to enhance personal data protection; foster the development of personal data protection technologies, in accordance with recognised international best practices and applicable international law and conduct investigations into any violation of a requirement under the Act”
Other functions of the Commission are: to impose penalties as regards any violation of the provisions of the Act or subsidiary legislation made thereof;
where necessary, accredit, license, and register suitable persons to provide data protection compliance services and issue regulations, rules, directives and guidance under the Act as well as, register data controllers and data processors of major importance.
“The Act is one of the strategic ways of meeting the campaign promise of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, of creating 1Million jobs in the Digital Economy sector. About 500, 000 jobs are expected to be created through the training of Data Protection Officers and licensing of Data Protection Compliance Organizations to offer services to data controllers and processors,” Bamigboye added.