NDPC To Strengthen Data Protection Of 40m Nigerian SMEs

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), aimed at promoting data protection within the Small and Medium Enterprise ecosystem, with approximately 40 million SMEs.

The MoU establishes a framework for collaboration, including the formation of a working group to focus on capacity building in data protection. This initiative aims to educate SMEs on adopting appropriate technical and organisational measures towards safeguarding data privacy.

The national commissioner/CEO of NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, expressed optimism about the implementation of the memoranda with the two strategic agencies and assured stakeholders that the trusted use of data will guarantee short, medium and long term growth.

“You have almost 40 million players within this sector alone. Imagine the exponential growth we can bring in if people can carry out transactions on the basis of trust and confidence. It is good that we are here today, to put pen to paper, we have to work together to ensure that there is privacy in what you are doing in the sector,” Olatunji affirmed.

The DG, SMEDAN, Mr Charles Odii expressed appreciation for NDPC’s readiness to collaborate, emphasising the significance of data protection and complying with the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, in preparing for international business.

He said: “SMEDAN is out to prevent exposure of our data for selfish and malicious operations. We have to show that the data we are mining in Nigeria is protected according to our data protection law. We cannot be a development agency if we are not teaching small businesses the right thing to do.

“In developing small businesses, we need to upskill and sensitise them. We will go into the nooks and crannies of Nigeria to make them understand that if you process data then you must abide by the data protection laws in Nigeria.”.

The NDPC also signed a MoU with the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC), aimed at bolstering data protection initiatives in the sector.

Olatunji reiterated the significance of this partnership, emphasising the need to protect the personal data of approximately 60 million data subjects within the gaming sector.

He stressed the importance of training NLRC staff and stakeholders on data protection principles to foster a culture of compliance.

The director general, NLRC, Mr Lanre Gbajabiamila expressed appreciation to the NDPC for their ongoing work. “The change that the establishment of NDPC has brought to the gaming value chain is commendable, we are not taking this MoU for granted.

“International partners come here to see what we do and make comments that are welcoming to show that we are on the right part which is acceptable to the industry for operations to come in. We would also like to collaborate with you in conducting joint awareness campaigns and capacity building on data governance,”  Gbajabiamila added.

The MoU between the NLRC bolsters the collaboration between the two commissions. The DG, NLRC, Mr Lanre Gbajabiamila, expressed gratitude for NDPC’s ongoing support and also underscored the importance of safeguarding personal data within the gaming ecosystem.