Paradigm Initiative seeks implementation of Nigeria’s Data Protection Act

Paradigm Initiative(PIN) has called on the federal government to implement Nigeria’s data Protection Act, strengthen the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), to ensure the privacy and security of citizens’ information.
PIN, a firm that connects under-served young Africans with digital opportunities, made the call at the weekend, in a press briefing following breaches by several unauthorised websites claiming to hold and provide access to sensitive personal and financial data of Nigerian citizens for as little as N100.
According to PIN, the alarming development presents a major breach of the fundamental rights to privacy, a breach of data privacy rights and poses significant risks to individuals and the national economy.
In his speech, Executive Director of PIN, ‘Gbenga Sesan, lamented the spate of  data impunity and abuse in the country, noting that the existence of these websites highlight a significant gap in data protection and cybersecurity measures in the country. Sesan said the dissemination of such information poses a big challenge to National Identity Number (NIN) and Bank Verification Number (BVN) linking among others. He called on government to conduct thorough investigation to identify these illegal online activities, enhance cybersecurity measures to prevent further data breaches, raise public awareness about risks associated with data breaches and provide guidance, and implement Data Protection Act among others.