Nigeria’s data protection regulator is currently investigating 17 data breaches. The NDPC has just recently revealed that it is currently looking into 17 priority data breaches across several sectors, from technology, finance, and education down to government, gaming, and even logistics.
Nigeria’s Data Protection Regulator
Out of 1,000 complaints reviewed by the commission, only 50 were verified as genuine cases, with 17 currently under investigation. The commission’s successful remediation of completed cases has notably contributed ₦400 million in revenue to the Nigerian government.
Seven months ago, in June 2023, the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) initiated investigations into three major deposit money banks – Zenith, Fidelity, and Guarantee Trust Banks – along with Babcock University, Leadway Insurance, and others, for alleged data breaches.
By October 2023, the scope of investigations expanded to include Opay, Meta, and DHL, further indicating prevalent data protection and privacy compliance issues in both private and public institutions in Nigeria.
Nigeria’s Dedication to Data Protection and Privacy
These ongoing investigations underscore Nigeria’s dedication to data protection and privacy, supported by a strong legislative framework and targeted strategies. The National Commissioner also reported a significant increase in the number of Data Protection Compliance Organizations in the country, rising from 103 to 163. This growth is facilitating compliance and has led to an uptick in annual audit filings, now averaging around 2,000 per year.
The commission estimates the revenue potential from data protection compliance to be around ₦6.2 billion, with approximately 10,100 jobs created in the sector to date.
Nigeria’s Involvement with International Organizations on Data Privacy
Furthermore, Commissioner Olatunji mentioned Nigeria’s involvement with international organizations, highlighting the global recognition of the country’s efforts in the data protection ecosystem.
“It is also worthy of note that Nigeria has now been admitted to the Global Privacy Assembly, which is made up of about 130 countries. This is in addition to being an active member of the Network of African Data Protection Authorities (NADPA).”
Emphasizing the importance of widespread awareness regarding data privacy and protection in Nigeria, the Commission has committed to providing a detailed account of its achievements and future plans.
Nigeria Annual Data Protection Report
This comprehensive update will be publicly disclosed in the Nigeria Annual Data Protection Report, scheduled for release during the Annual Anniversary and Award Ceremony on Sunday, February 4, 2024. This report will offer insights into the Commission’s progress in data protection and outline the next steps in its strategic approach to data privacy in Nigeria.
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