The value of Data Protection Industry in Nigeria is now estimated at N4,080,000,000
This was disclosed on Monday 24th January, 2022 by the Director-General/CEO of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi during the National Privacy Week 2022 Press Conference and Unveiling of the Week’s Activities in Abuja.
“It is encouraging to note that we now have 103 Data Protection Compliance Organizations and we have created approximately 7,680 jobs for Nigerians in this regard, Kashifu Abdullahi said.
He further said that part of NITDA’s vigilance measures is to monitor DPCOs and data controllers closely.
“We have developed an auditing template and will be issuing codes of conduct from time to time. This is to ensure that the services being rendered by DPCOs are in tune with the letters and the spirit of the NDPR, Kashifu Abdullahi said.
Acknowledging that capacity building and awareness are pivotal measures to strengthen data privacy, NITDA embarked upon a series of educational programmes.
According to the DG, in 2021 alone, NITDA executed and played a leading role in 135 capacity building programmes.
“Worthy of note is our pilot programmes in creating awareness among vulnerable citizens – particularly teenagers and young adults. In 2021, we carried out training programmes on NDPR in 52 secondary schools across Nigeria.
“The various capacity building initiatives culminated in the training of a total number of about 5,746 Nigerian. We are particularly excited by the fact that Lagos State University has developed data privacy into a full-fledged course for students while other academic institutions are also putting in place various mechanisms to entrench Data Protection in their curricula.
On the part of the government, NITDA has commenced the process of having a national certification body on NDPR in order to build the requisite indigenous capability for driving the sector and also save Nigerians the huge amount of foreign exchange being paid for foreign certifications.
The DG said that the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami has already approved the process while NITDA has commenced work in earnest.
The NITDA is collaborating with relevant agencies of government in strengthening compliance. According to Kashifu, Data privacy issues can make or mar democracies or literally undermine national security with far-reaching dire consequences to a country and its people.
“For instance, according to some investigative reports by some international news agencies such as CNN, Reuters, BBC and Guardian (UK), Twitter and Facebook deleted some social media accounts operating in Nigeria and Ghana because they were linked to some foreigners who were using the said accounts to manipulate the public. Twitter categorically stated that the accounts were: “attempting to sow discord by engaging in conversation about social issues….” NDPR prohibits this manner of atrocious intrusion and manipulation of personal data. By collaborating as vanguards of Nigerian sovereignty, government agencies are sending signals to the big data community that it is not going to be business as usual.
The DG used the opportunity to re-echo the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari, during eNigeria 2019 that: “the Nigerian e-Government Interoperability Framework, the Enterprise Architecture and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation are in place and all Ministries, Departments and Agencies are expected to comply with these policies.”
He said, “As the government implements National Digital Economy Policy, we cannot afford to have weak links in our digital national security architecture. We must, therefore, continue to strengthen inter-agency collaboration on data privacy in the interest of peace, security and economic growth.
Dr Vincent Olatunju gave the vote of thanks after unveiling the souvenir for National Privacy Week 2022 program.
