Nigeria is now a member of the Global Privacy Assembly (GPA) following landmark achievements in the advancement of data privacy and protection in the country.
The National Commissioner, Nigeria Data Protection Commission( NDPC) Dr Vincent Olatunji, made this known in a statement made available by the Head, Media Unit, Mr. Itunu Dosekun on Tuesday in Abuja.
The decision on Nigeria’s accreditation was announced during the 45th Global Privacy Assembly Closed Session, held between October 15th through 20th, 2023 in Bermuda.
GPA which was instituted in 1979, seeks to provide an international platform for coordinating transborder efforts in the advancement of data privacy and protection.
It currently comprises 130 Data Protection Authorities from countries around the world. Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, South Africa, Portugal, Canada, Senegal are some of the countries with DPAs in the Global Privacy Assembly.
The Nigeria Data Protection Bill assented to by President Bola Tinubu, was a major consideration in accrediting Nigeria as a member of the prestigious Assembly.
Similarly, the establishment of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission under the Act as the independent data protection authority for Nigeria is a key index in assessing the adequacy of data protection in a country.
The NDPC boss expressed optimism that the effort of the Federal Government on digital transformation is yielding positive results.
He called on stakeholders in the Data Processing ecosystem to maintain a high standard of care in handling personal data.
Olatunji said the accreditation will go a long way in strengthening trust and confidence in Nigeria’s emerging digital economy.
