Tinubu signs data protection bill into law

By Cynthia Ezekwe

President Bola Tinubu has signed the Nigeria data protection bill, 2023 into law.

Vincent Olatunji, the national commissioner, Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB), made the disclosure  at the National Data Processing Division (NDPD)  Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan(SRAP) validation workshop, held recently in Abuja.

The Nigeria data protection Act  provides a legal framework for the protection of personal information and the practice of data protection in Nigeria.

Olatunji noted that the bill was sent to the senate and house of representatives for consideration and passage on Tuesday, April 4 2023 through a letter from former president Muhammadu Buhari.

“That the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau is now a commission by law. Nigeria now has its Data Protection Act signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on 12th of June 2023,” he said.

Now an Act, he explained that the new law establishes the Nigeria Data Protection Commission and replaces the NDPB established by former  President Buhari in February 2022.

According to Olatunji, the Commission will be led by a national commissioner with the responsibility of regulating the processing of personal information.

The national commissioner, who lauded the growth of Nigeria’s data protection ecosystem, stressed the need for effective partnership and stakeholder engagement especially in the areas of awareness and sensitization.

“We agree that Nigeria is well positioned to move data protection ahead in Africa. We agree that Nigeria is well positioned to move. The whole of Africa is waiting for us,” he stated.

He disclosed that  over 500,000 job opportunities have been identified in the data protection and privacy ecosystem which is in line with one of the campaign mantra of the current administration to create million jobs in the digital economy sector in 12 months.