By Ijeoma Olorunfemi

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) says the data privacy ecosystem has the capacity to drive Nigeria to a trillion dollar economy.

Its National Commissioner, Dr Vincent Olatunji, said this at a news conference to commemorate the 2025 Global Privacy Day, in Abuja.

Beginning from Europe in 2008, the day highlights the significance of privacy and data protection.

The NDPC commissioner said that through the implementation of the pillars of its Nigeria Data Protection-Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (NDP-SRAP), localised technology adoption and global collaborations, indigenous data privacy could contribute to the growth of the economy.

“We can’t keep relying on foreign technologies for what we are doing here, so our local content must be encouraged.

“In NDPC, our platforms, the services, portal, and websites are locally developed, and they are very robust enough for us to use.

“This can drive technologies and we are talking of operating a trillion dollar economy for this country that will be driven by digital technologies.

“The private ecosystem alone can convey a lot of services that are being offered and you can imagine audit files alone, registration of data controllers, reporting breaches. A lot is going on and even creating awareness through various platforms,” he said.

He also encouraged startups to key into the data privacy ecosystem, adding that there was immense potential.

Speaking on the day, Olatunji highlighted the universality of data privacy principles but stressed the need for adapting them to local laws.

He urged stakeholders to leverage the knowledge of data protection not only within Nigeria but also on a global scale.

“All we want is for you to adapt the local laws of wherever you want to practice. The principles of data protection and security are the same worldwide and the knowledge you acquire here can take you anywhere,” he said.

Olatunji noted the immense potential in Nigeria’s data ecosystem, saying the nation’s human capital development remains critical to advancing its digital economy.

According to him, NDPC places significant focus on building capacity while encouraging the development of indigenous digital technologies to reduce reliance on foreign solutions.

He reiterated the NDPC’s commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration through initiatives that strengthen data privacy awareness, compliance and enforcement.

He stated that Nigeria’s acceptance into the Global Privacy Assembly (GPA) and the hosting rights of the 2025 Network of African Data Protection Authorities conference was a testament that the country had demonstrated a good traction in data protection initiatives.

Olatunji highlighted that a robust data protection framework was a key factor for attracting multinational investments, ensuring compliance with global standards and safeguarding the rights of data subjects.

The commissioner said that the commission had signed Memoranda of Understanding with data protection authorities in Canada and United Arab Emirates, to ensure cross-border knowledge sharing on data privacy.

“Our law applies even when Nigerian data is processed outside the country and collaborating with foreign data protection agencies allows us to exchange knowledge effectively,” he said.

Olatunji stated that the commission had in the past engaged in a series of awareness campaigns, trained 55,529 individuals on data privacy, had 5,351 capacity building programmes, among other engagements.

Highlight of the event included the launch of the NDPC International Journal of Data Privacy and Protection and the release of the commission’s 2024 annual report.(NAN)

Edited by Deji Abdulwahab