Nigeria’s Data Protection Industry Now Worth N4.8 Billion – Inuwa

…NITDA Trains 5,746 Nigerians on Data Protection

The reforms in Nigeria’s data protection industry has started to yield results, as statistics released by the National Information Technology Development (NITDA) showed that the industry is now worth N4,080,000,000.

The Director General of NITDA, Mr. Kashifu Inuwa who disclosed the worth of the industry at a press conference in the nation’s capital city, Abuja yesterday, said that the industry has also created approximately 7,680 jobs for Nigerians.

Speaking at the press conference, which is on the sideline of the Data Privacy Week 2022 with the theme: Data Economics in a Digital Economy: Charting Nigeria’s Data Strategy, Inuwa stated that n less than two years of active implementation of Nigeria Data Protection Regulation, the industry has gained international reputation.

According to him, Nigeria was recently accepted as full member of the Network of African Data Protection Authorities (NADPA) adding that NITDA’s contribution at the Africa Union’s Policy and Regulatory Initiative for Digital Africa (PRIDA) Data Protection Laws’ Harmonisation Work Group led to Nigeria being considered for inclusion in the list of countries where a developed framework for data laws harmonisation was tested.

Inuwa also revealed the strategy for strengthening data privacy protection in Nigeria stating that part of its vigilance measures is to monitor Data Protection Compliance Organizations (DPCOs) and data controllers closely.

Click Here To Read: NITDA Urges National Assembly on Data Protection Bill Passage

He said that the country now has now has 103 DPCOs, saying “We have developed an auditing template and will be issuing codes of conduct from time to time. This is to ensure that the services being rendered by DPCOs are in tune with the letters and the spirit of the NDPR.”

The NITDA Boss said it trained a total of 5,746 Nigerians on Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) in 2021.

NITDA while commending Lagos State University for developing data privacy into a full-fledged course for students, he said other academic institutions are also putting in place various mechanisms to entrench Data Protection in their curricula.

“In 2021, we carried out training programmes on NDPR in 52 secondary schools across Nigeria. The various capacity building initiatives culminated in the training of a total number of about 5,746 Nigerian.

“We are particularly excited by the fact that Lagos State University has developed data privacy into a full-fledged course for students while other academic institutions are also putting in place various mechanisms to entrench Data Protection in their curriculum.

On capacity building and awareness, which he described as pivotal measures to strengthen data privacy, Inuwa noted that NITDA embarked upon a series of educational programmes.

He said: “In 2021 alone, NITDA executed and played a leading role in 135 capacity building programmes. Worthy of note is our pilot programmes in creating awareness among vulnerable citizens – particularly teenagers and young adults.

“In 2021, we carried out training programmes on NDPR in 52 secondary schools across Nigeria. The various capacity building initiatives culminated in the training of a total number of about 5,746 Nigerian.

“We are particularly excited by the fact that Lagos State University has developed data privacy into a full-fledged course for students while other academic institutions are also putting in place various mechanisms to entrench Data Protection in their curricula.”

He assured the citizens that NITDA cannot afford to have weak links in our digital national security architecture, following the government implement National Digital Economy Policy.