By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The Nigeria Data Protection
Commission (NDPC) has commenced a validation process for a Data Privacy
Framework for e-commerce, with the Commission stressing that stronger data
protection and consumer trust are essential to the sustainable growth of Nigeria’s
digital economy.
National Commissioner of the
NDPC, Dr Vincent O. Olatunji, delivered the keynote address and declared open
the validation workshop, organised by the Commission in partnership with the
German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ).
Olatunji said the growth of
e-commerce is central to the future of Nigeria’s digital economy but noted that
businesses can only thrive sustainably when customers, as data subjects, have
confidence that their personal information is collected and processed
responsibly, securely and lawfully.
He emphasised the importance
of broad and meaningful stakeholder consultation in developing effective data
protection frameworks and acknowledged GIZ’s continued support for the
Commission since its establishment.
The Abuja workshop follows
an earlier validation session in Lagos that brought together private-sector
stakeholders. The Abuja engagement provides an opportunity for Ministries,
Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and other public-sector stakeholders to contribute
their perspectives to the proposed framework.
Participants also examined
risks associated with the unlawful collection and processing of personal data,
including profiling, as well as the consequences of non-compliance with the
Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023.
According to Olatunji, trust
remains at the centre of effective data protection. A trusted digital
marketplace, he said, can encourage innovation, strengthen consumer confidence
and create an environment in which businesses can grow sustainably.
He welcomed the commitment
of stakeholders from the public and private sectors to advancing responsible
data governance and ensuring that Nigeria’s digital economy develops on the
foundations of privacy, accountability and trust.
The engagement was attended
by the Head of Development Cooperation at the German Embassy, Dr Karin Jansen,
who represented Germany’s Ambassador to Nigeria, H.E. Annett Günther, alongside
representatives of MDAs and other stakeholders.
The validation process is
expected to contribute to the development of a stronger privacy framework for
Nigeria’s e-commerce sector and support efforts to ensure that the expansion of
digital commerce is accompanied by effective safeguards for personal data.
