The National Commissioner of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Vincent Olatunji, has expressed concern about low compliance with data privacy laws in the public sector.
According to Olatunji, the low level of data compliance in the public sector has continued to raise concerns among stakeholders despite increased awareness of the provisions of data compliance law in the country.
He disclosed this during a capacity building workshop for members of House Committees on ICT and Cybercrime in Abuja.
He noted that the level of data compliance by the public sector stands at nine per cent.
“We are expecting the level of compliance by MDAs to increase from now. We are also creating awareness to ensure that all MDAs comply with the provisions of the law. By January 2024, we will release the data compliance statistics for the year 2023,” Olatunji said.
The NDPC boss stressed the need for data compliance, adding that global bodies and international investors currently consider data protection legislation and level of data compliance as standard requirements for investments.
He added that the commission would be working to firm up on implementation of a standardised framework allowing every part and section of the law to be broken down into specific activities for the public to comprehend.
He stated, “What we intend to do going forward with the law that Mr President has graciously signed. The objective is to ensure consistency and clarity concerning the implementation of data protection standards across all sectors all of which will involve issuing guidance notices on key provisions of the law as they relate to the lawful basis of data processing, data subjects’ rights, compliance audit returns, and cross-border data transfer.”
According to the NDPC boss, the commission is committed to promoting a culture of data privacy and data protection, and to ensure that Nigerian private and public organisations align with national laws and acts concerning data protection.
He added that the commission won’t hesitate to penalise any organisation that failed to comply with data laws in the country.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, Senator Shuaibu Salisu, emphasised that data privacy security was crucial for stimulating trust in digital services and e-commerce as that would guarantee economic competitiveness, thereby, boosting foreign direct investment in the country.
“The more technology you use, the more data you gather. Data is also important as a national critical resource. Many multinational organisations are present, particularly in their social media.
“You cannot talk about national security without talking about cybersecurity. Cybersecurity is premised on data privacy and data protection. This is a sector that affects the lives of Nigerians and even our national security,” Salisu said.
He further pledged the support of the National Assembly in legislation, awareness, and partnership.
