To commemorate Global Data Privacy Day, held on January 28, 2024, the Nigerian government revealed plans to digitize public services as a measure to protect citizens’ data. Galaxy Backbone, the Federal Government’s IT provider, is to manage data interchange compliant with regulatory standards, while the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) will supervise the safeguarding of citizens’ data.
This plan succeeds the emphasis in December 2023 by Folasade Yemi-Esan, Head of the Civil Service, on fully digitizing processes in all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) by 2025.
Yemi-Esan mentioned that this development would cut governance costs and encouraged the MDAs to leverage technology in pursuit of national objectives. By 2024, these agencies are expected to intensify their digitization efforts.
A report from Q1 2023 indicated that Nigeria experienced a substantial rise in data breaches, from 50,000 in the last quarter to approximately 82,000 – a striking increase of 64%. Consequently, Nigeria rose in ranking from 41st to 32nd position among countries with the highest data breaches in Q1 2023.
In Nigeria, Data Privacy Day (DPD), observed on January 28, signifies the start of a week-long campaign that runs until February 4. The campaign aims to raise awareness for and encourage data privacy and protection.
The Nigerian government enacted the Data Protection Bill 2023 into law as the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) in June 2023. The act, which is legally binding, seeks to safeguard citizens’ online and offline data.
Earlier, in 2019, the Nigerian Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) had introduced the Nigerian Data Protection Regulation for the processing of personal data.
Acknowledging the criticality of data protection, the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, stated during the conference that many services that citizens use will be digitalized in the upcoming months and years. He also underscored the necessity of investment in innovative data protection strategies.
Furthermore, the National Assembly is collaborating with MDAs and other organizations to automate data collection processes and drive compliance with the Data Privacy Law.
Additionally, as part of its agenda for 2023, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) is concentrating on developing a cohort of Data Protection Officers (DPOs) to fulfill duties under the Nigeria Data Protection Act.
Following receipt of over 1000 data breach complaints, the NDPC announced it is currently investigating 17 significant cases across diverse sectors. According to the commission, its operations have generated ₦400 million for the Nigerian government. It also projects a total potential revenue of about ₦6.2 billion from the sector.
