The Nigerian government has urged African data protection authorities to prioritise secure data protection, stressing that the continent’s economic prosperity depends on it.
Vice President Kashim Shettima made this statement during the opening ceremony of the 8th Edition of the Network of African Data Protection Authorities (NADPA) Conference and Annual General Meeting. The event, themed “Balancing Innovation in Africa: Data Protection and Privacy in Emerging Technologies,” was hosted by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) with support from its partners in Abuja.
“We recognise that data is not merely a digital resource. It is a human story told in numbers — the fabric of trust in our economies and the currency of reliability in our institutions,” Shettima said.
“Our ability to share data securely and lawfully will define our capacity to thrive as the African Continental Free Trade Area expands,” he added.
Represented by the deputy chief of staff to the president, Sen. Ibrahim Hadejia, Shettima reaffirmed the government’s commitment to balancing innovation with the protection of data privacy in an age of emerging technologies.
“Nigeria’s journey in data protection has been an evolving narrative of progress, proof that when a nation commits itself to privacy and dignity, transformation follows.
“The Nigerian Data Protection Regulation came into effect in 2019, and in one of the boldest steps of this administration, within just 14 days of assuming office, President Bola Tinubu signed the Nigeria Data Protection Act into law and established the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, which is hosting this event today,” he said.
Earlier in his remarks, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani launched the Nigeria Virtual Privacy Academy, Africa’s first platform for virtual training in data protection and privacy across both public and private sectors.
“Recognising the opportunity across our continent, we have also set up a digital trade desk, a one-stop platform to promote Nigeria’s need to export while unlocking global market opportunities for tech-enabled businesses.
“To fully harness the benefits of this and other initiatives, we see data as the backbone and digital protection as the shield.
“As we digitise government services, open up digital trade corridors and advance the need for digital identity, we must ensure that our value chains are secure, fair, and transparent.
“To this end, permit me to launch the Data Protection Virtual Academy, which offers every Nigerian — from civil servants to private sector employees to young job seekers — access to practical training on data protection principles and cyber identity,” he stated.
Welcoming participants to the conference, the national commissioner of NDPC, Dr. Vincent Olatunji said Nigeria is focused on enabling a future-proof regulatory environment that supports innovation while advancing data protection as a fundamental right and a driver of trust in the digital economy.
Olatunji noted that, within a few years of the commission’s establishment, the data protection ecosystem has generated cumulative revenue of over $10 million and created around 23,000 jobs.
He highlighted other achievements, including the adoption of the public-private partnership model, which led to the registration of 267 data protection-compliant organisations and over 40,000 data controllers and processors.
“We have carried out over 5,047 compliance assessments, around 223 investigations and 12 different organisations from various sectors have gone through remediation.
“In terms of revenue to the government, within less than two years, we generated over $1.2 million through registration fees, audit filing fees and compliance fees.
“On the part of data controllers and processors, we have established collaboration with data protection authorities across Africa and signed memoranda of understanding,” he stated.
In his opening speech, the chairperson of NADPA, Iro Adamou said the primary goal of the body is to foster collaboration among members and amplify African voices in engagements with global data protection stakeholders.
Represented by the NADPA vice president, Immaculate Kassiat, Adamou emphasised that protecting personal data is a shared responsibility across Africa.
The Network of African Data Protection Authorities (NADPA-RAPDP) was established in September 2016 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso as a body uniting National Data Protection Authorities and Regulatory Agencies across Africa. Its mission is to promote collaboration, capacity-building, and the harmonization of data protection frameworks to strengthen privacy rights and responsible data governance across the continent.
NADPA 2025 brought together participants from over 30 African countries, alongside delegates from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the United States.
