Nigeria has earned its place as a member of the Global Privacy Assembly (GPA) in recognition of its remarkable strides in advancing data privacy and protection.
The accreditation was a result of the Nigeria Data Protection Bill, which received the assent of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Additionally, the establishment of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission as an independent data protection authority for the country played a pivotal role in assessing the adequacy of data protection in Nigeria. The announcement of Nigeria’s accreditation was made during the 45th Global Privacy Assembly Closed Session, held from October 15th to 20th, 2023, in Bermuda.
The GPA, founded in 1979, serves as an international platform for coordinating cross-border efforts in the promotion of data privacy and protection. Currently, it boasts 130 data protection authorities from countries worldwide, including Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, South Africa, Portugal, Canada, Senegal etc.
A statement from the commission’s head of the media unit, Itunu Dosekun said the National Commissioner of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Dr. Vincent Olatunji expressed optimism upon learning of Nigeria’s membership in the GPA. He credited the Federal Government’s efforts in digital transformation for this achievement and called on stakeholders in the data processing ecosystem to uphold high standards of personal data management. Such measures will significantly contribute to fostering trust and confidence in Nigeria’s emerging digital economy.
