NDPC pledges to protect social media data

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission has stressed the need to protect Nigerians’ online data.

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 stressed that with over 40 million Nigerians using social media daily, data protection and privacy have become crucial concerns.

He noted that this number highlights the immense importance of safeguarding personal information in Nigeria’s digital landscape.

“The Nigerian government is really taking this up 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 have to ensure adequate measures for safety to safeguard the data within our country.

“And Nigerians know their rights under the Nigeria Data Protection Laws and understand the kind of measures they need to implement to protect their data,” Olatunji said.

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 boss 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.

On his part, 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 further urged more young people to participate in nation-building to ensure that Nigeria can become great again.