From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The federal government has announced that Nigeria’s data privacy sector generated over $10 million and created approximately 23,000 jobs in the past three years. Dr Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), disclosed this at the eighth Network of African Data Protection Authorities (NADPA) conference in Abuja on Tuesday.
“In Nigeria, the data privacy sector has a collective revenue of over $10 million within the space of three years, and the ecosystem has also created about 23,000 jobs also within the space of three years,” Olatunji said. He attributed the growth to a strategic roadmap aligned with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023 and the Federal Ministry of Communications’ five-pillar blueprint.
Olatunji reported that 267 Data Protection Compliance Organisations (DPCOs) have been registered, driving compliance through 40,000 registered data controllers and processors, over 5,000 compliance assessments, and 220 investigations. The sector generated over $1.2 million in government revenue from registration, audit, and compliance fees within two years.
The NDPC has also launched a local certification programme, training 500 Data Protection Officers in January 2025, with an 80% pass rate (400 out of 500). “This is aimed at producing globally competitive professionals in the data privacy space,” Olatunji noted.
Vice President Kashim Shettima, represented by Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, Deputy Chief of Staff, described the conference as a testament to Nigeria’s robust data protection framework. “Data is not just a digital resource but a human story told in numbers, a tool to build economic trust,” he said. Shettima urged delegates to shape strategies for secure data governance in Africa, emphasising that lawful data sharing is critical for the continent’s economic growth.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, launched the Nigeria Virtual Privacy Academy, Africa’s first platform for virtual training in data protection and privacy across public and private sectors. “The academy offers every Nigerian, from civil servants to private sector employees to young job seekers, access to practical training on data protection principles and easy cyber identity,” Tijani said.
The academy will leverage Nigeria’s cultural heritage through storytelling to promote data privacy and support initiatives like the digital trade desk, which aims to unlock global market opportunities for tech-enabled businesses. Tijani stressed that data protection is the “shield” for digitising government services and advancing digital identity platforms, ensuring secure and transparent value chains.