By:
Nana Appiah Acquaye
The
Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has held strategic discussions with
the National Population Commission (NPC) aimed at strengthening collaboration
on data protection, privacy compliance, and responsible data governance across
Nigeria’s public sector.
The
engagement was led by the National Commissioner of the NDPC, Dr. Vincent O.
Olatunji, during a working visit to the Chairman of the NPC, Dr. Aminu Yusuf,
and his management team at the NPC Headquarters in Abuja.
According
to the NDPC, the NPC plays a central role in Nigeria’s development framework as
the custodian of one of the country’s largest repositories of personal data.
The Commission commended NPC’s ongoing digitisation efforts while emphasizing
the need for robust technical and organisational safeguards to protect
sensitive personal information.
Discussions
between the two institutions focused on enhancing institutional cooperation to
build trust, confidence, and credibility in the NPC’s data processing systems.
The NDPC also highlighted key provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Act,
2023, and shared guidance on compliance requirements and implementation
strategies.
As
part of its support for public sector compliance, the NDPC announced the
provision of free induction training and 100 Virtual Privacy Academy vouchers
for NPC staff to strengthen capacity in data protection and privacy management.
Both
parties expressed commitment to deepening collaboration across NPC operations
nationwide, including its offices in all 774 local government areas, as well as
state and federal structures.
The
two commissions agreed to establish a technical working group that will develop
actionable implementation plans and work toward the drafting of a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) to formalize cooperation.
The
NDPC stated that the initiative forms part of broader efforts to build a
trusted digital ecosystem in Nigeria where personal data is securely processed
and leveraged responsibly for national development.
