The National Commissioner of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr. Vincent Olatunji has inaugurated the local organising committee (LOC) for the upcoming Network of African Data Protection Authorities (NADPA-RADPA) Conference and Annual General Meeting.
The event is scheduled to take place in May 2025 in Abuja, with the inauguration held at the NDPC office in Abuja.
Nigeria, through the NDPC, is set to host the 10th edition of this prestigious conference and AGM, which will bring together delegates and participants from across Africa and beyond. Attendees will include heads of data protection authorities, data protection experts, multinational corporations, development partners, and foreign investors. This event aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agenda focused on economic growth and job creation.
In his inaugural address, Olatunji expressed his gratitude to the LOC members for their enthusiasm and willingness to collaborate with the commission to ensure the event’s success. He emphasised the significance of the conference, calling it the largest gathering within Africa’s data protection and privacy ecosystem. “This event is not solely about the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) or the NDPC; it is about Nigeria. That is why we have selected committee members from diverse sectors,” he stated.
The LOC is composed of representatives from various sectors, including FMCIDE, NCC, NIPOST, NIGCOMSAT, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the World Bank (represented by the ID4D Project Office), the Digital Transformation Centre, the European Union, Meta, Google, AWS, Microsoft, Management Edge, ISACA, MasterCard, the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner of Kenya, the media, among others.
Olatunji urged the committee members to work collaboratively and exchange ideas to bring the world to Nigeria and ensure the success of the event. He stressed that the conference would be a crucial platform to showcase Nigeria as a peaceful, safe, and attractive investment destination. “We must highlight Nigeria’s positive image and demonstrate that our country is both hospitable and a good place for investment,” he added.
He also noted that hosting the NADPA-RADPA conference underscores the NDPC’s significant progress within a short period of its establishment, as well as Nigeria’s commitment to data protection and digital innovation on the global stage. “Although we started later than some in the data protection and privacy ecosystem, we have already made significant strides, even at the global level,” he said.
A statement by the commission’s head of media unit, Itunu Dosekun highlighted that the Network of African Data Protection Authorities (NADPA-RADPA) was established in Ouagadougou in September 2016. The network consists of 23 data protection authorities and others with observer status from across Africa. Its primary objective is to provide a platform for exchanges and cooperation among its members while amplifying Africa’s voice in global partnerships.
