The Nigeria Data Protection Commission has said that it is prepared to levy hefty fines on companies that improperly handle the data of Nigerians. Starting this year, these companies known as data controllers and processors will be subjected to more stringent enforcement of the Nigeria Data Protection Act....Read Full Article >>➤
The National Commissioner of the NDPC, Vincent Olatunji, disclosed this in his 2025 outlook, emphasizing that the era of leniency is over. “For data controllers and processors, there is going to be massive enforcement in 2025.
We have never issued any fines, but going forward, you will hear us issuing heavy penalties,” Olatunji said. The Commissioner also highlighted the Commission’s plans to enter the second phase of its 2023-2027 Roadmap, focusing on job creation through the training of data protection experts.
“Nigerians will in 2025 start seeing the result of the experts, professionals, and a pool of globally competing human capital that the NDPC has been trying to develop in the data protection ecosystem, which would lead to job creation,” he stated.
Additionally, Olatunji reaffirmed the NDPC’s commitment to raising awareness about data protection across the country, ensuring Nigerians understand their rights.
“There are a lot of data controllers and processors that are looking for people to work with them. Now, those that we have trained in 2024, those we have certified, we are going to do more this year to actually launch them to the job market where they can really work with data controllers and processors,” he explained.
In preparation for the enforcement phase, Olatunji reiterated the need for all organizations handling personal data—including banks, telecom operators, insurance companies, and schools—to register with the NDPC.
“What we have in the law is that all data controllers and processors, and there are over 500,000 in Nigeria, should register with the data protection authority.
“What the law says is that we should give them six months to acquaint themselves with the provisions of the law.
“Between now and December 31, they are to register with the commission. And from January 1 to March 31, 2024, they are to submit their annual audit report, telling us what they have done in the area of putting in place measures to safeguard our data with them,” he emphasized.
President Bola Tinubu signed the Data Protection Bill into law on June 12, 2023.
The move elevated the National Data Protection Bureau to a commission tasked with enforcing the law. By 2024, data protection rules would be widely enforced around the world.
Data protection watchdogs, especially in the European Union, imposed substantial fines on tech giants such as Meta, LinkedIn, and TikTok for breaches of data protection regulations.
With the NDPC’s renewed focus and stricter enforcement plans, Nigeria aims to align with global standards in protecting citizens’ data.
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