Citizens entitled to privacy protection rights — NDPC DG Olatunji

The National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, NDPC, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, has stated that it is now the right of citizens for their privacy to be protected.

Olatunji said this when he received a group of international data protection experts from Somalia who were on a study tour to explore Nigeria’s data protection ecosystem and its unique models.

Nigeria and Somalia are meant to exchange ideas on the protection of data, with the East African nation eager to learn what their West African counterparts are doing to keep the privacy of their citizens safe.

“It is a digital age and the protection of the privacy of all citizens of the world is paramount,” he said during the meeting held in Abuja.

“It’s now the right of all citizens for their privacy to be protected. That’s why all countries across the globe are putting in place those measures to ensure that they have their enforceable data protection rights and also put in place data protection authority to ensure that they enforce the law of data security.

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‘In Nigeria, we recognise the need to protect the privacy of our citizens as it is enshrined in the 1999 constitution.”

Speaking earlier, Somalia’s ambassador to Nigeria, Jamal Mohammed, advised the delegate from his country to go home with the message that Nigeria has everything the war-torn country needs to develop. He pleaded with the NDPC DG to help his country in the area of data privacy and security.

“I’ve been here for three years now. Everything Somalia needs is in Nigeria in terms of knowledge and in terms of experience. I’d like you to take this message to Somalia,” he said.

“Don’t go to any other places. So, you’ll get anything you need in Somalia. However, in my stay here, I faced two challenges.

“The number one challenge was to convince Nigerians about Somalia. They have a phobia about Somalia. The same thing with Somalians.

“I’ve tried to convince Somalians to come to Nigeria but now they’ve got an opportunity.”