Following the signing of the Nigeria Data Protection Act into law by President Bola Tinubu, Banks, telecommunications corporations, and other organizations might face fines of up to 2% of their yearly turnover, according to the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC).
National Commissioner, NDPC, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, made this known at a press conference on the implementation of Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, on Monday, in Abuja.
Olatunji said the Commission would be expanding its active public awareness campaigns to educate and empower organizations and individuals as regards their roles, rights, and responsibilities under the Act.
Additionally, he stated that the National Data Protection Adequacy Programme (NaDAP) would provide Data Protection Officers with better possibilities for capacity building, boosting their ability to guide their enterprises toward compliance.
“This journey towards nationwide compliance will be guided by several key initiatives and future developments. Within the last two quarters of this year, we are vigorously pursuing the following targets:
“Development of Implementation Framework: Standardization is vital. Hence, we will be developing a standardized framework for implementation, ensuring consistency and clarity across all sectors.
“This will involve guidance notices on key provisions of the law particularly those that relate to lawful basis of data processing, data subjects rights, compliance audit returns, and cross-border data transfer.
“Capacity-building for Data Protection Officers (DPOs): Our DPOs are the frontline soldiers in this endeavour.
“Issuance of DPCO Practice Guidelines and Sectorial Guidance Notices: We will strengthen our regulatory frameworks for DPCOs and issue sector-specific guidelines, particularly for financial and telecom sectors”, Olatunji said.
According to NDPC CEO, more DPCOs will be licensed to provide services and make the ecosystem competitive.
Other implementation plans lined up by the Commission are: Upscale of the Registration Process for data controllers and data processors, this Olantunji noted would simplify compliance pathways and encourage participation. In addition, is the introduction of the Compliance Audit Filing Calendar.
Olatunji however urged Nigerians not to see the move to make data protection a statutory requirement, as a burden but as a call to build robust data protection structures and strengthen Nigeria’s place in the global digital economy landscape.
He said the change in legislation was not merely an addendum to its law books, but a transformative step towards shaping a culture where the protection of personal data is a cherished principle.
Olatunji noted that with President Bola Tinubu, setting an achievable target of creating 1 million jobs through the Digital Economy sector, Nigerians will be embracing a new era of data protection where respect for personal data becomes an integral part of national culture.
He said measures were being put in place to create 500, 000 jobs into the data protection ecosystem. This he noted would serve as 50% of the job creation target for the sector.
