The Nigeria Data Protection Commission has underscored the need to safeguard the online data of Nigerians.
The National Commissioner of the NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, disclosed this as the Commission signed a Memorandum of Understanding with renowned social media influencer Enioluwa Adeoluwa in an effort to promote data protection and privacy awareness in Nigeria.
Speaking at the signing of the MoU in Abuja on Tuesday, Olatunji highlighted that with over 40 million Nigerians using social media daily, data protection and privacy have become critical concerns.
He noted that this figure underscores the immense importance of safeguarding personal information in Nigeria’s digital landscape.
“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. 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,” Olatunji stated.
With the MoU, the Commission hopes to harness the power of social media to educate Nigerians on the importance of data protection and privacy.
The MoU is expected to last for six months and is subject to renewal, the NDPC head said.
Olatunji further stressed the need for increased awareness about data protection and privacy in Nigeria so that data subjects can understand their privacy rights and data controllers and processors are aware of their obligations.
In his remarks, Mr Enioluwa Adeoluwa noted that his motivation for collaborating with the Commission is driven by a desire to contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s development.
He also urged more young people to participate in nation-building to ensure that Nigeria can become great again.