The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen data protection and regulatory synergy in Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
According to the commissions, the MoU is necessary to strengthen consumer privacy, align regulatory mandates, and safeguard Nigeria’s digital economy, particularly in the telecommunications sector.
Data protection is a strategies and measures to secure the privacy, availability, and integrity of data, ensuring it’s handled securely and not accessed without authorisation.
Speaking at the signing of the agreement in Abuja on Thursday, the NCC Executive Vice Chairperson/Chief Executive Officer, Aminu Maida, said both commissions would work together to ensure communication networks remain robust while guaranteeing that data generated on those platforms is protected in line with Nigerian laws.
“Data is very important to this next era, and the people who generate this data is me and you, and as disruptive as people think, AI is, AI cannot exist without me and you using digital platforms, so our role as a regulator is to enable people to use these digital platforms,” Mr Maida said.
He said if people do not know their rights around data, somebody else will monetise it.
“And this is why data protection is very, very important towards the future and sovereignty of this nation,” he added.
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In his remarks, the National Commissioner of the NDPC, Vincent Olatunji noted that the partnership was necessary to combine the expertise and capacities of both agencies to effectively protect Nigerians’ data.
Mr Olatunji said neither institution could fully achieve its mandate in isolation, adding that the partnership was critical as data became central to governance, economic growth and national development.
“We don’t want this MoU just signed and kept on the shelf. We want it signed and immediately operationalised,” Mr Olatunji said.
