The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has announced the creation of over 27,000 jobs following the enactment of the NDPC Act, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu in June 2023.
The Commission also revealed that its regulatory oversight has now extended to more than 40,000 data processing organisations nationwide, aimed at strengthening the protection and management of citizens’ personal information.
Speaking in Abuja over the weekend, the National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the NDPC, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, said the reforms introduced under the new law have significantly transformed Nigeria’s data protection landscape.
“The NDPC Act has not only enhanced regulatory compliance but also created thousands of jobs and expanded the country’s data ecosystem. These developments underscore the growing importance of data governance in Nigeria’s digital economy,” Olatunji stated.
According to him, the ecosystem is now valued at over $12 billion, with the Commission generating more than N8.6 billion in revenue within the review period.
Olatunji said the agency has trained and certified over 8,000 Data Protection Officers (DPOs) and licensed more than 324 Data Protection and Compliance Organisations (DPCOs).
He added that the Commission has signed 38 Memoranda of Understanding with local and international partners, including Canada, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), The Gambia, Côte d’Ivoire, and Morocco, to strengthen cooperation on data protection, transfer, and governance.
The NDPC boss described the Commission as a growing continental reference point for data governance, noting that several African countries have conducted study visits to Nigeria to learn from its framework.
He also said traditional rulers had been engaged as data protection ambassadors to deepen awareness across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas.
According to him, over 8,000 students in 50 primary and secondary schools have participated in annual data awareness and privacy programmes introduced by the Commission.
On enforcement, Olatunji said the NDPC is actively investigating several data breach cases, including allegations involving the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) voters’ register.
He said individuals and institutions, including INEC officials, actor and politician Emeka Ike, and the Media Adviser to the FCT Minister, Lere Olayinka, had been invited for questioning in connection with various data-related incidents.
Olatunji stressed that no individual or organisation is exempt from scrutiny when data protection violations are alleged, adding that cases involving voter information breaches and other privacy concerns are being treated with urgency given their implications for public trust and electoral integrity.
He referenced ongoing concerns about the alleged publication of voter registration details online, sparking debate over access to sensitive electoral data.
While INEC has denied claims of a systemic breach, it attributed the incident to misuse of authorised access credentials rather than an external cyberattack.
Olatunji confirmed that Emeka Ike had already appeared before the Commission, while Olayinka is expected to do so in the coming days as investigations continue.
The National Commissioner, who assured Nigerians of transparency and accountability in the manner in which the NDPC carries out its assignment, said that in recent times the Commission launched probes into the activities of Meta, TikTok, Temu, some banks, and educational institutions over data breaches.
He said that, to avoid jeopardising Nigeria’s nascent economic recovery, the Commission was being meticulous in its handling of the probes to avoid sending the wrong narratives to investors, both home and abroad.
Olatunji said the NDPC under his leadership built its vision around five pillars based on governance structures, awareness and capacity building, cooperative and collaboration, funding and sustainability, as well as exposure and peer review, stressing that data privacy and protection compliance within the banking sector has moved from about 20 percent in 2023 to 80 percent in 2026.
Olatunji said, “We have come a long way in terms of the many first positions we have taken in the global data protection and privacy ecosystem. Nigeria now chairs so many international organisations. And we have had a series of study tours.
“We have been able to achieve this much because of the importance Mr President attached to the data protection and privacy ecosystem. The signing of the NDPC Act three years ago was both the culmination and the enabler of the many landmarks we have achieved.
“And that is why revenue from registration, from fines, donations, and so on, is now able to fund our activities. To the extent that, in terms of revenue to the government, we have done 8.6 billion within the last three years.
“You can quote this anywhere. We have now created an economy around data privacy and protection, which is worth over $12 billion as we speak, through a range of activities, including employment generation.
“And the sector has also generated employment for over 27,000 people who now work in the privacy ecosystem in Nigeria. And in fact, check again, I’m not sure there’s any country in Africa that will be able to achieve this within the span of three years.”
