By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The Nigeria Data Protection
Commission (NDPC) has inaugurated a six-month Privacy Fellowship Programme
aimed at strengthening professional capacity in data protection and privacy
governance.
The programme, which is
being implemented in partnership with the Data and Knowledge Information
Privacy Protection Initiative (DKIPPI), is designed as a residency-based
training initiative for privacy professionals and emerging experts in the
field.
The National Commissioner
and Chief Executive Officer of the NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, officially
launched the initiative and commended DKIPPI, led by its President Mr Tokunbo
Smith, for its contribution to advancing data protection and privacy awareness.
Dr Olatunji described the
fellowship as a pioneering initiative, noting that it is the first of its kind
established by a data protection authority globally. He urged participants to
take full advantage of the opportunity and contribute meaningfully to the
growth of the data protection ecosystem.
He reaffirmed the
Commission’s commitment to building a pool of globally competitive human
capital in data protection and privacy, in line with Nigeria’s broader policy
objectives on youth development and digital governance under the Renewed Hope
Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Dr Olatunji also highlighted
growing global demand for data protection professionals, particularly Data
Protection Officers, and encouraged the fellows to position themselves to take
advantage of emerging opportunities in the sector.
In his remarks, Mr Tokunbo
Smith commended the NDPC for its proactive leadership in data governance and
congratulated the selected fellows. He encouraged them to fully engage with the
programme, stressing the importance of understanding data protection principles,
governance frameworks, and regulatory compliance.
As part of the initiative,
the NDPC announced the provision of free Virtual Privacy Academy vouchers,
along with training and certification opportunities for participants to become
certified Data Protection Officers.
The Commission said the
programme is expected to contribute to ecosystem maturity, expand professional
capacity, and strengthen Nigeria’s data protection landscape in line with
global standards.
