By Stellamaris Ashinze

Data Knowledge  Information  Privacy  Protection  Initiative (DKIPPI), a Non -Government  Organisation (NGO), has trained no fewer than 5,000 people on Data  Privacy.

The Chief Executive Officer  (CEO) of DKIPP,  Mr Tokunbo  Smith, said this at a news conference held on Saturday in Lagos to commemorate Data Privacy  Day.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Data Privacy Day is an international effort to highlight importance  of data privacy  and ensure its compliance.

Smith said that the training of the training was on capacity  building to promote data processing practices that safeguard the security of personal data and privacy of data subjects.

He said that the  NGO had contributed and was presently contributing to the development of Data Privacy and Protection in Nigeria.

Smith said there had been capacity building in digital literacy to the public to improve the level of data, knowledge and information privacy and protection.

According to him, it is through appropriate use of information technologies.

“Our desires to create awareness on Data privacy and educate the public on the importance of data privacy is already yielding positive results,” he said.

Smith, however  said  that the Federal Government  through  the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) had been very supportive  in promoting  digital  privacy.

He said that the Federal Government had provided cash, materials for learning and other incentives.

Also, speaking  at the event,  Mr Doyin Talabi,  a Data Consultant, said that data would be the new “oil”, and if not well protected would lead to damage.

He said that it was very  important  to create awareness  of data privacy to ensure privacy and security.

“It is because all of us, both in the private and public sector,  individuals, have personal information  that must be kept private,” he said.

Talabi said that such awareness of the need for data privacy  would preserve lives, physical and mental  health.

Also, Mr Kunle Adesida, an Engineer and Co-Founder of Cranium  Integrated Solutions Limited, while relating to the health sector, said that data privacy was the bedrock to seamless and effective health care delivery.

He said that health care delivery  would become perfect  if the patient had emotional  satisfaction that their psyche was being  worked on to enable delivery of adequate information to their physicians.

Adesida said that most patients did not give  enough  information  when it comes to health  care delivery.

According to him, that is why data privacy  is something  that everyone  needs  to come out and celebrate.

He, however,  urged  the government  to give enough  financial  strength and put in place policies to ensure that all sectors across the nation focus on data privacy.

“I believe it will take us a long way,” Adesida said. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Chidinma Agu/Vivian ihechu