Data Protection: Nigeria Becomes Global Privacy Assembly Member

Nigeria has been admitted as a member of the Global Privacy Assembly (GPA) in recognition of its efforts in data privacy and protection.

The decision on Nigeria’s accreditation was announced during the 45th Global Privacy Assembly Closed Session, held between October 15th through 20th, 2023 in Bermuda.

The adoption of the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA), which President Bola Tinubu signed into law in June of this year, was a requirement for GPA membership.

Analogously, a crucial metric for evaluating a nation’s level of data protection is the creation of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) pursuant to the Act, which designates it as the autonomous data protection body for Nigeria.

With the recognition given to Nigeria, the country is now seen as one of the countries in the world with adequate provisions for data safety and protection. This is expected to boost foreign investments in the country as investors are assured of their data safety while doing business in Nigeria.

In his reaction, the National Commissioner/CEO, NDPC, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, upon receiving the news of Nigeria’s status as a member of the GPA, expressed optimism that the effort of the federal government on digital transformation is yielding positive results.

Olatunji called on stakeholders in the Data Processing ecosystem to maintain a high standard of care in handling personal data, adding that this would go a long way in strengthening trust and confidence in Nigeria’s emerging digital economy.