By Jessica Dogo
The National Commissioner of Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB), Dr Vincent Olatunji says it will train 50 journalists on data protection by the first quarter of 2023.
Olatunji stated this at a news briefing on the progress of data privacy and protection in Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja.
He also informed that the bureau had conducted a series of training sessions for its staffers and other institutions such as the Nigeria Television Authority, Voice of Nigeria and Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri, Imo.
“Evidently, we have prioritised the training of press men and women, while the bureau is committed to doing more.
“Within the 1st quarter of 2023, we are planning to organise a training workshop for 50 journalists to be drawn from both the mainstream and new media,” Olatunji said.
He, however, said in order to achieve its mandate, the bureau had engaged with over 50 establishments at the highest level.
“For instance, in the health and gaming sectors, we are working on sectoral guidelines.
”Approximately, 90 per cent of our population may have various degrees of sensitive personal data being processed in the health sector.
“Over 60 million youth are sharing personal data in the gaming industry.
“The advent of automated data processing which could have significant impact on the enjoyment of private lives has made data protection imperative.
“A strategic area in which the Bureau is leaving no stone unturned is capacity building.
“We will also train staffers of the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Federal Ministry of Health, National Health Insurance Authority and National Lottery Regulatory Commission, among others,” he said.
The commissioner said that NDPB had the mandate to regulate the processing of personal data to guarantee the Rights, Privacy and Freedom of Nigerians in the global Digital Economy.
“Investigation of data privacy breaches; enforcement of data subject rights; data protection awareness and capacity building for data Subjects,among others.
“Coordination of the passage of an enabling act on data protection in Nigeria and cooperation with relevant local and international bodies for the purposes of advancing data privacy and protection,” he said.
Olatunji said the resolve of the bureau was to follow a road map that was Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound (SMART).
“This is instructive given the cheer size of our population, which is estimated at over 210 million.
“Not only that, for Nigerian businesses to be competitive in the modern global economy, they must be embedded in a resilient and safe data processing ecosystem,” he said.
He said the bureau had five guiding pillars, which include: Governance, Ecosystem and Technology, Capacity Development, Cooperation and Collaboration, Funding and Sustainability.
Olatunji further stated that in each of these pillars were time-bound goals, activities and outcomes, carefully crafted to guide the bureau in the discharge of its mandate.
“The importance of a strong legislation cannot be gainsaid if we are to secure the rights and fundamental freedoms of our citizens and foreign residents in Nigeria”, he stated.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that President Muhammadu Buhari approved the Bureau and was forthwith established on Feb. 4,2022.
This was in line with emerging norms in data privacy and protection in the international community. (NAN)
