By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The European Union in partnership with the Afrian Union (AU-EU) Digital for Development Hub Project, the GIZ Digital Transformation Center (DTC) and the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has commenced an intensive training session for data protection officers, controllers and controllers in Nigeria.
According to the organisers, the programme’s core objective is to foster a comprehensive understanding of the principles, regulations, and best practices associated with safeguarding sensitive information, as well as empower individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to collect, process, and store personal and confidential data securely and in full compliance with the law
The two-day programme which began in Abuja on Monday, attracted participants from various government ministries, departments and agencies. A similar session was held in Lagos last week.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had in June this year, signed into law, the Data Protection Act of 2023. The objective of the Act, among others, is to safeguard the fundamental rights and freedoms, as well as the interests of data subjects, as guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.
The Act also established the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), referred to as the “Commission to replace the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB) put in place by the previous administration.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the National Commissioner for NDPC Dr Vincent Olatunji said by educating data processors, organisations seek to minimize the risks associated with data breaches, legal violations and reputational damages.
According to him, the ultimate goal is to instill a culture of data protection and privacy awareness, “wherein every member of an organization contributes to upholding the integrity and security data, while adhering to legal requirements”.
Commenting, Head of the Green and Digital Economy Section of EU to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Inga Stefanowicz said the training is an important milestone in the introduction of data protection standards in Nigeria.
He disclosed that EU has supported the Nigerian efforts in this direction from the onset especially as the system is being inspired by the European laws and standards.
Au-EU Project Advisor, Moritz Zimmermann stated that Data protection is an indispensable element of human-centered digital transformation, adding that the project is there to support African governments in establishing and advancing their national data protection measures as well as embed them in a broader regional and global context.
“We are grateful for the excellent cooperation with Nigerian authorities and EU partners to realise this training, which forms part of a series of interventions to strengthen African citizen’s privacy and enable a thriving data economy”, he added. READ ALSO:
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The AU-EU D4D Hub is a flagship Team Europe project, co-funded by the European Union and jointly implemented by eight European organisations. It is part of the D4D Hub, an EU-led platform that creates and leverages partnerships to shape a sustainable digital future worldwide.
The activity is implemented by GIZ, one of the implementing agencies, through its Digital Transformation Centre in Lagos. The project supports African institutions to create an enabling environment for an inclusive and sustainable digital transformation It provides demand-driven technical assistance, promotes knowledge sharing, and facilitates multi-stakeholder dialogues.
