By Ijeoma Olorunfemi
The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) says it will partner with the Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU) to ensure the protection of students’ data in the their institutions.
The duo came to an agreement when the Secretary General of CVCNU, Prof. Yakubu Ochefu, when his team paid a working visit to Dr Vincent Olatunji, the National Commissioner of NDPC in Abuja.
In a statement issued by Mr Itunu Dosekun, Head, Media Unit, Olatunji said lots of data was being exposed in higher institutions.
“The education sector is crucial, especially with the volume of personal data being processed on a regular basis.
“The education sector is even more peculiar, because I recall being in the university, at the end of every semester, we go to the notice board to check our results.
“On that notice board your name, date of birth, matriculation number, everything about you, all your scores and grades are there.
“Imagine having about 2.6 million students, a lot of things must have been mismanaged and neglected,so it is a very critical sector to us that needs to be handled properly,” he said.
Ochefu said that they needed capacity building for vice chancellors and data officers in the universities.
Ochefu said there was also the need to enlighten their members on data protection according to the requirements of Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023.
“If Nigerian universities are going to do things right, then we have to take our rightful place as far as implementing the Act is concerned.
“There are 264 universities with Vice Chancellors who now have a new cap to be Chief Data Protection Officers of the universities they lead.
“The average VC serves as the Chief Accounting Officer, Executive Officer, Academic Officer, and Security Officer and now the Chief Data Officer which will now look into the way personal information,results pasting on walls are done.
“We have come to engage with you to see how we can work together to organise a capacity workshop for VCs and Data Officers that will be employed,” he said.
According to him, that will enable us to develop a template so as to do the right thing and comply with the NDPA.
A Memorandum of Understanding between the NDPC and CVCNU to drive the collaboration would be signed on a later date.(NAN)
