NDPC Balances Data Privacy, Protection Amid Emerging Technologies — Olatunji
By Stella Enenche Abuja
The National Commissioner of the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr. Vincent Olatunji, has said the Commission is working to strike a balance between information use and the protection of citizens’ privacy in the face of rapidly evolving technologies.
Olatunji made the disclosure on Wednesday at the National Data Privacy Summit organised by the NDPC with the theme: “Privacy in the Era of Emerging Technologies” in Abuja.
According to him, the Commission is focused on ensuring that innovation and digital transformation do not come at the expense of privacy and data protection.
“What we are doing is just to look at how to balance information around privacy and protection, which is really important, because as we are innovating, at the same time we have to consider issues around privacy and protection,” he said.
He added that the Commission has remained bold in taking steps that can accelerate growth and strengthen Nigeria’s data governance ecosystem.
“Our starting point is growing at a very alarming rate, and we are not afraid of anything. We can take risks. And that is why a lot is happening in Nigeria, and this is the level of clarity,” Olatunji stated.
Also speaking at the summit, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, said emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) hold strong potential for Nigeria’s economic development.
Maida, who was represented by the Executive Commissioner, Technical Services (ECTS), Abraham Oshadami, noted that as digital assets and future computing technologies expand, privacy must remain central to building public trust and ensuring sustainable progress.
“In an era in which digital assets, Internet of Things, future digital computing and other transformative technologies are key, privacy is both a cornerstone of building trust for adoption and a prerequisite for sustainable progress,” he said.
He stressed that while emerging technologies could drive significant economic gains, they also present new risks to personal rights and freedoms, requiring strong safeguards.
“Emerging technologies hold immense promise for Nigeria’s grand economy, but they also introduce complex risks to personal and individual rights. So balancing innovation through post-ethical safeguards and public trust is the first step to ensuring that global digital advancement benefits all Nigerians without compromising their privacy or their security,” he added.
Oshadami also echoed concerns raised by security agencies on the sensitivity of subscriber information held by telecom operators, noting that such data must be protected through stronger collaboration on privacy and security.
“As we just heard from the Nigerian police, telecom operators have the vast amount of sensitive historical information on a daily basis,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation in Plateau State, Dr. Bako Shurkuk, who represented Governor Caleb Mutfwang, said emerging technologies could be effectively harnessed to drive sustainable growth, provided appropriate frameworks are in place to protect citizens and strengthen public confidence.
