By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
The Nigeria Data Protection
Commission (NDPC) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) have
announced a major capacity-building initiative aimed at strengthening data
protection and privacy compliance across Nigeria’s public sector.
The initiative will see
approximately 4,000 NIMC staff enrolled in the NDPC’s Virtual Privacy Academy
(VPA), a structured training programme designed to enhance understanding of
data protection principles and promote responsible data handling practices.
The announcement was made
during a joint press conference attended by the National Commissioner of the
NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, and the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer
of NIMC, Engineer Abisoye Coker-Odusote.
According to Dr Olatunji,
the programme represents a significant milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to
institutionalize privacy awareness and strengthen accountability in the
management of personal data across government institutions.
He noted that the initiative
reflects a shared commitment between NDPC and NIMC to build a culture of
privacy and ensure that data protection principles are embedded in the
operations of key public institutions.
Dr Olatunji emphasized the
strategic importance of NIMC as the custodian of Nigeria’s foundational
identity system, stating that robust technical and organizational safeguards
are essential to protect the integrity and security of personal data within the
national digital ecosystem.
He commended the leadership
of NIMC for its proactive approach to integrating data protection principles
into its operations and for extending training initiatives to staff and
frontline partners.
Engineer Coker-Odusote
reaffirmed NIMC’s commitment to data protection compliance and highlighted
plans to institutionalize continuous capacity-building programmes to strengthen
staff competence in privacy and data governance.
She also expressed support
for expanding privacy training to include partner institutions involved in
identity management processes, in line with broader efforts to improve data
security and public trust.
The NDPC stated that the
initiative aligns with Nigeria’s broader digital transformation agenda under
the Renewed Hope framework and is expected to contribute to building a secure,
trusted, and inclusive digital economy.
Both institutions reaffirmed
their commitment to continued collaboration aimed at strengthening data
governance, enhancing privacy protection, and supporting the development of
Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
